Donald Trump’s allies are scrambling to save Pete Hegseth after the president-elect’s pick to lead the Pentagon struggled to win over skeptical Republicans in a flurry of meetings on Capitol Hill this week.
Trump is still standing by his choice, telling Hegseth he wants to see him fight for votes in the Senate, sources close to both told CNN, though they also acknowledged that the president-elect could withdraw his support at any time.
Trump and those around him still see a pathway for Hegseth to be confirmed, the sources said, though they noted the Senate math can change quickly — and some of Trump’s allies are ramping up public pressure on senators who have so far declined to commit to Hegseth.
The former Fox News host’s confirmation is in jeopardy amid a series of allegations related to drinking and sexual misconduct that have emerged since he was chosen for the role. While no Republican senators have publicly said they will not back Hegseth, many have said they have concerns that they need addressed before they can get behind him.
For Trump — who’s already lost one of his Cabinet picks due to Senate opposition – Hegseth’s fate is poised to become a key early test of his relationship with Senate Republicans. Some of Trump’s allies believe the president-elect cannot give into the pressure from senators over Hegseth, arguing that allowing them to tank another key pick would give lawmakers too much power at a critical time for him.
“If he drops Pete because of pressure from establishment Republican senators, all it will do is have the effect of the Senate essentially controlling Trump and not the other way around,” one source familiar with transition talks told CNN.
Trump’s continued backing – as of now – is part of the reason Hegseth has appeared more bullish this week while he’s held critical meetings with Republican senators who will ultimately decide his destiny.
“I spoke to Trump this morning just a few minutes ago. He supports us fully,” Hegseth told CNN Thursday when he arrived on Capitol Hill.
“I’m a different man than I was,” Hegseth said after his meetings wrapped Thursday in response to questions about allegations of alcohol abuse. And on Wednesday, he took to conservative media and X to blast the accusations against him.
Sources familiar with the matter argued that the situation with Hegseth is not the same as what unfolded with Trump’s attorney general pick, Matt Gaetz, who withdrew his name last month after Trump told him he did not have the votes to get confirmed.
“This is very different than the situation with Matt Gaetz. With Gaetz, you had multiple members who were legitimate hard no’s, whereas with Pete, I don’t think there’s a single actual hard no on the GOP side of the Senate right now,” one Trump world adviser told.
Unlike with Gaetz, Trump has not been making a flurry of phone calls directly to senators, sources said. Trump has so far allowed his transition team to handle the backchanneling as it relates to Hegseth rather than personally involving himself, two sources familiar with the discussions said.
However, Vice President-elect JD Vance, a supporter of Hegseth and a current Ohio senator, has been talking to his colleagues as Hegseth has been in and out of meetings on Capitol Hill.
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