President-elect Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, said he does not intend to withdraw his name from consideration.
“I spoke to the President-elect this morning. He said keep going, keep fighting, find your own way,” Hegseth told reporters. Asked about withdrawing his name, the combat veteran responded, “Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter. I’m here for the warfighters. This is personal and passionate for me.”
Hegseth also addressed the matter in an X post, writing, “I’m doing this for the warfighters, not the warmongers.”
“The Left is afraid of disrupters and change agents. They are afraid of @realDonaldTrump—and me. So they smear w/ fake, anonymous sources & BS stories. They don’t want truth. Our warriors never back down, & neither will I.”
The statements follow reports that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is being considered to replace Hegseth as the head of the Defense Department.
Amid allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, NBC News reported that several Fox News employees said Hegseth would arrive at work seemingly drunk or smelling of alcohol.
Fox and Friends co-host Will Cain said the report is “100 percent” false. He then called himself “the guy who sat next to [Hegseth] for 8 hours every week for five years starting at 6am.”
