President-elect Donald Trump on Friday said he has confidence in Pete Hegseth, even as he acknowledged “people were a little bit concerned” about his pick to lead the Pentagon amid a series of allegations related to drinking and sexual misconduct.
“Looks like Pete is doing well now. I mean, people were a little bit concerned,” Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker in an interview at Trump Tower. “He’s a young guy with a tremendous track record. Actually, went to Princeton and went to Harvard. He was a good student at both, but he loves the military, and I think people are starting to see it. So, we’ll be working on his nomination, along with a lot of others.”
Asked whether he thinks Hegseth can earn Senate confirmation, Trump said, “I think he will, yeah. I’ve had a lot of senators call me up saying he’s fantastic.” But Trump said he has not gotten any assurances from senators that he’ll be confirmed.
CNN Reports the comments from the president-elect marked the latest public praise for his embattled choice for secretary of defense after days of support behind the scenes.
Earlier in the day, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the military veteran and former television anchor “is doing very well” and that “his support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe.”
Asked by Welker whether he had concerns over reports of excessive drinking, Trump, who does not drink, said he’s “spoken to people that know [Hegseth] very well and they say he does not have a drinking problem.”
Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing and forcefully pushed back on what he has described as unfounded attacks against him. On Thursday, he concluded his first week of meetings on Capitol Hill as he seeks to shore up support with key senators who will vote on his confirmation.
Trump had told Hegseth he wants to see him fight for votes in the Senate, sources close to both men told CNN, and the continued backing is part of the reason Hegseth has appeared more bullish this week while he’s held critical meetings with Republican senators.
On Friday, he thanked the president-elect for his support, saying on X, “Like you, we will never back down.”
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