Hegseth Heads Into a Critical 24 Hours in Faltering Bid to Lead Pentagon Trump Mulls Replacing Hegseth With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

WASHINGTON—Wednesday is a make-or-break day for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, as snowballing allegations related to his treatment of women and excessive drinking threaten to derail his nomination.

Trump is already considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Hegseth amid mounting Republican concerns in the Senate, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

Hegseth is set to meet with Republican Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa), a sexual-assault victim and military veteran whose support is critical to his Senate confirmation. He is also expected to appear on Fox News’s “Special Report” with Bret Baier on Wednesday evening.

Penelope Hegseth defended her son in a Wednesday morning interview on Fox News, saying that “I believe he’s the man for the job.” She acknowledged sending an email to her son during his 2018 divorce accusing him of abusing women, but she said that it was written out of “deep emotion” and that she sent an “apology email” two hours later.

Seven years after she wrote that letter, she said, Pete is “a new person.”

“He’s redeemed, forgiven, changed. I think we all are after seven years,” she said.

Hegseth posted to X on Wednesday that he is the victim of a smear campaign. “Our warriors never back down, & neither will I.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is being considered as a possible replacement nominee for defense secretary.
The possibility of DeSantis as Hegseth’s replacement sent shock waves through Washington and Tallahassee, given the intense rivalry between the Florida governor and Trump. That tension has cooled since DeSantis exited the 2024 GOP presidential primary, and allies of the two have worked to patch things up between them. Trump spoke to DeSantis about the position this week, a person familiar with the conversation said, adding that the governor is open to the idea. DeSantis would take the role if offered, said another person familiar with the conversation.

Much depends, meanwhile, on Hegseth’s meeting with Ernst, whose official website describes her as the “first female combat veteran elected to serve in the United States Senate.” Ernst, who has worked to end sexual assault in the military, is likely to ask Hegseth about his views on female service members, as well as allegations about inappropriate behavior with women. Hegseth has said women shouldn’t serve in combat positions in the military.

Ernst told reporters on Tuesday that she expected to have a “frank and thorough conversation” with Trump’s Pentagon pick. A spokeswoman added that the senator “looks forward to meeting with Pete Hegseth.”

The transition is watching Ernst’s reaction closely, fearing that she could serve as a key indicator of which way senators might fall on Hegseth’s nomination. Five other senators are also on the transition’s watchlist, a Senate aide and another person familiar said, including Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell, Indiana’s Todd Young, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, Maine’s Susan Collins, and Utah senator-elect John Curtis.

The lawmakers have all said they will weigh the Pentagon pick’s credentials and background when they make their decision. McConnell, the former Senate Majority Leader, emphasized the body’s constitutional role in providing “advice and consent” on the president’s key nominees. “My view is that’s exactly what will unfold here when these nominees are actually sent forward, and we will treat them like we’ve treated all others, with a proper vetting,” he said.

Allegations about Pete Hegseth’s treatment of women and excessive drinking are threatening to derail his nomination to be defense secretary. PHOTO: NATHAN HOWARD/REUTERS
Support for Hegseth in the Senate appeared to crumble rapidly on Tuesday night, after he met with a number of members earlier in the day in an effort to assuage concerns about his fitness to lead the Pentagon. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) on CBS News described some of the media reports about Hegseth as “very disturbing”; others in the chamber have publicly called for a full FBI investigation.

Hegseth “has 24 hours to turn it around and strengthen his position or he’ll be in trouble,” said a person familiar with the situation. “This is not looking good.”

Republicans will have a 53-47 majority in the Senate next year. A nominee can lose no more than three Republican votes and win confirmation if all Democrats are opposed. Incoming Vice President JD Vance would break any tie.

Trump’s choice of Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran, for Pentagon chief shocked the national security community, many of whom questioned his ability to lead the U.S.’s largest federal agency. Hegseth, if confirmed, would take over a department with an annual budget of $850 billion and a workforce of nearly three million civilian and military personnel.

Hegseth’s lack of civilian government leadership experience and his outspoken views about efforts to increase diversity in the military initially drew scrutiny, but a series of allegations related to his personal life has overshadowed the debate about his qualifications.

The nominee is to meet with Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, a sexual-assault victim and military veteran whose support is critical to his Senate confirmation. PHOTO: PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/REUTERS
A sexual-assault allegation from 2017, which Hegseth paid his accuser to keep secret even while denying the claims, blindsided Trump transition officials.

Over the weekend, the New Yorker revealed details of a 2015 whistleblower report from Hegseth’s time leading a veterans advocacy organization, including claims that he treated women inappropriately, was repeatedly intoxicated on the job and mismanaged the group’s finances.

While transition officials initially dismissed the concerns, Republican senators’ worries have grown in recent days, said the Senate aide, particularly over Hegseth’s issues with alcohol.