After a nail-biting week of headlines about allegations of alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct, and the uphill battle he faces in the Senate, aides and allies of Donald Trump say Hegseth is now in a better position politically than he was just 48 hours ago. when it was leaked that the president-elect was already coming up with a contingency plan to eavesdrop on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis if his top choice were to drop out.
That’s not to say Hegseth is out of the woods. Several Republican senators have said the allegations against him are serious and deserve scrutiny. He has not yet met with key Republican senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, and some senators have indicated they are not ready to back Hegseth. But Trump’s advisers say they are optimistic that no one has said “no” and that Hegseth could benefit from good timing.
On Thursday evening, Trump attended the Fox News Patriot Awards in New York, where the president-elect heard praise for Hegseth from his colleagues. And Trump welcomed Hegseth’s promise to fight for his nomination on Capitol Hill earlier in the day.
On Friday morning, Trump — who was quiet this week as Hegseth met with senators — publicly praised him with a post on Truth Social.
“Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep,” Trump wrote.
Vice presidential candidate JD Vance reiterated Trump’s support, writing on
Trump will also tape his interview with Kristen Welker for NBC’s Meet the Press on Friday afternoon before flying to Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame. One Trump ally said they expected him to get a chance to reiterate his support for Hegseth, offering a video clip that could shield him from skeptics for at least a few days.
Meanwhile, Hegseth has been trying to redeem himself in the media. Notably, he was the only Senate-confirmed candidate to appear for an interview this week, as he appeared to be making a last-ditch effort to salvage his chances and gain public support. And his own mother appeared on “Fox & Friends” as a character witness after The New York Times published an email in 2018 labeling her son a “woman abuser.” She said her son is now a “new man.”
Still, Trump’s allies and advisers are keeping a close eye on key senators — particularly female Republicans. While some, like Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), indicated they support Hegseth, others, like Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), have not yet made a decision.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) was Hegseth’s most outwardly skeptical. Earlier this week, she indicated to Trump that Hegseth would have a difficult time getting confirmed, according to two people familiar with their conversation. Her skepticism of Hegseth led to a fierce pressure campaign from the right, with some even threatening to impeach her if she were re-elected in 2026. There is also a whispering campaign that she is trying to trip Hegseth into getting the role of Defense Minister herself. , which she has denied.
Notably, on Friday morning, the Republican National Committee published an op-ed written by Trump ally Brenna Bird, the attorney general of Iowa, that was seen by some Republicans as a veiled primary threat.
“In recent days, it has become clear that politicians in DC believe they can ignore the voices of their constituents and entertain smears from the same media that has been pushing lies for years,” Bird wrote.
But Ernst told RealClearPolitics that she is not out on Defense and that she is “not campaigning against Pete.”
“I want to make sure that the process can proceed and that we thoroughly vet him. I truly believe Pete deserves to be heard. All the rumors out there are absolutely false. My role as a senator is to ensure that we quell any rumours, no matter how anonymous,” she said.
One Trump adviser predicted that if Hegseth attends a committee hearing, he will survive. But another adviser said they are acutely aware that Trump’s dropout of another nominee — after Matt Gaetz withdrew and the DEA nominee rejected the nomination this week — will trigger a new cycle of negative headlines about his Cabinet choices would cause. I’m not going to tolerate another scalp,” said a Trump aide.
