A growing number of senators have privately signaled they are unlikely to vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as President-elect Donald Trump’s next defense secretary, prompting Trump advisers to begin discussing who might be a viable replacement, sources say , who is familiar with the matter, to ABC News.
Sources tell ABC News that at least six senators have indicated privately that they do not intend to vote for Hegseth amid growing allegations of his mistreatment of women.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., July 16, 2024. Days after surviving an assassination attempt, Donald Trump won the formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and was elected right-wing loyalist JD Vance as running mate, sparks a triumphant party convention in the wake of last weekend’s failed assassination attempt.
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While Trump and his advisers have said privately that the president-elect supports Hegseth and wants him to “keep fighting,” sources familiar with private discussions tell ABC News that a growing list of replacements are emerging to replace him. These include Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty and Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, whom Trump has already tapped as national security adviser.
Sources close to DeSantis say he has expressed interest in the role. He was seen today with Trump attending a memorial service for three Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies in West Palm Beach who were killed in a crash last month.
Reached by ABC News, a spokesman for Trump’s transition team declined to comment.
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) speaks to reporters as she walks to Senate luncheons at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2024 in Washington, DC. US President Donald Trump is pushing the Senate to pass his Cabinet nominees, possibly using Recess Appointments.
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Hegseth was back on Capitol Hill Tuesday, seeking to shore up his support as he fends off allegations of misconduct and sexual misconduct.
The visit came after a report in The New Yorker that Hegseth was forced to resign from two veterans nonprofit groups — Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America — amid allegations of financial mismanagement, sexist behavior and other disqualifying conduct.
ABC News has not independently confirmed the magazine’s story. Hegseth’s attorney, Tim Parlatore, told The New Yorker that the allegations were “outrageous.”
