Pete Hegseth returned to Capitol Hill for another round of meetings with Republican senators Thursday as he worked to shore up support for his selection to be President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of Defense, a bid that appeared increasingly tenuous.
Meanwhile, a leading Democratic defense authorizer pressured top Armed Services lawmakers to seek records tied to Hegseth’s prior leadership at two veterans advocacy groups after allegations of financial mismanagement (which Hegseth has denied) came to light earlier this week.
As Hegseth seeks to defuse those accusations — as well as allegations of excessive drinking and sexual impropriety, which he has also denied — most GOP senators remained publicly bullish on his chances of confirmation.
