Senate Majority Leader John Thune has reportedly told President-elect Donald Trump that he believes Pete Hegseth will get enough votes to be confirmed as the next Defense Secretary.
The development, reported by CBS News, comes as Hegseth's path to the cabinet continues to be uncertain due to different allegations against him, including sexual assault and the abuse of alcohol while at work.
Thune, however, expressed more caution when discussing the issue in public. Speaking to "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," he said Hegseth's private meetings with senators have gone "very well," but warned he will still have to make his case "in front of the committee." "And, you known, we don't know all the information about some of these nominees."
One of the most high-profile Republican holdouts, Sen. Joni Ernst from Iowa, seemed more open to approving Hegseth after meeting him in early December, saying she would give him the chance to make his case at the public hearing set to take place on January 14.
"We're having really good discussions, and we discussed several items that were really important to me," Ernst said after her second meeting with the nominee last month. She said she extracted commitments from Hegseth on auditing the Pentagon and naming a senior official whose purview would include tackling military sexual assault, an issue in which she plays a leading role.
Ernst is a survivor of sexual assault and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee overseeing Hegseth's nomination. She has also helped lead the effort to increase accountability for sexual crimes in the military.
Hegseth, a former national guardsman at Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, has been accused of sexual assault, allegations he has denied. He also faces other allegations of alcohol abuse and mismanagement of nonprofits dedicated to veterans. Other potential detractors are Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
A 2017 police report alleges the former Fox News host sexually assaulted a woman at a California hotel. He denied the claim, saying the interaction was consensual. While no charges were filed, Hegseth paid the woman a settlement to avoid potential damage to his career, his attorney said. Hegseth acknowledged being in a hotel room with the accuser but denied any wrongdoing in a recent interview.
Separately, the committee is reviewing Hegseth's tenure as CEO of Concerned Veterans for America after a New Yorker report raised allegations of financial mismanagement and sexism. The panel has asked for employment records, financial documents, and any allegations of misconduct during his leadership.
Different outlets reported in December that Hegseth received a six-figure severance payment of $172,000 and signed a non-disclosure agreement after leaving CVA. The payments took place long after his departure. Hegseth has denied all allegations and is cooperating with the committee's investigation, according to his attorney, Timothy Parlatore said the NDA was standard practice for all employees who left CVA, not specific to Hegseth. "It was standard for all employees," Parlatore added.
Despite the scrutiny, Trump has publicly supported Hegseth, calling him a "WINNER" on Truth Social and expressing confidence in his nomination.
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