By Michael C. Bender
Vice President-elect JD Vance brought two of Donald Trump’s potential Cabinet appointees to the Senate this week to bolster backing for the president-elect’s selections, but he’s departing with only one.
Matt Gaetz stepped back from consideration as the next attorney general on Thursday amidst allegations of sexual misconduct, one day after Vance attempted to rally support for him on Capitol Hill. His withdrawal occurred shortly after another controversial Cabinet nominee, Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice for defense secretary, faced direct inquiries regarding his own sexual assault claims.
After concluding discussions with senators in Vance’s office, Hegseth, a Fox News anchor, emerged from behind closed doors and informed reporters that he anticipated the confirmation proceedings. A journalist quickly raised the 2017 allegations of sexual misconduct, asking: “Did you sexually assault a woman in Monterey, California?”
“As far as the media is concerned, I’ll keep this very straightforward,” Hegseth responded. “The matter was thoroughly investigated, and I was entirely exonerated. And that’s where I’m going to leave it.”
Concerns regarding Hegseth’s confirmation trajectory heightened Wednesday night when a newly unsealed police report unveiled explicit details about a 2017 sexual encounter, which Hegseth asserts was consensual.
On Thursday, some Republican senators defended Hegseth, stressing that no charges had been filed in the matter. After meeting with him in Vance’s Senate office, Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee attributed the accusations to “the media’s focus on personal attacks,” deeming Hegseth “the ideal candidate to inspire the Pentagon.”
Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chair of the Armed Services Committee, characterized the accusations as “press reports.”
“I believe he’s going to be in quite good standing,” Wicker remarked following a roughly 20-minute meeting with Hegseth.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, a member of the Armed Services Committee, stated that Hegseth was “going to be just fine.”
“There’s a reason why President Trump has faith in him,” Mullin told reporters after their meeting. “As he navigates through this process, you’re going to learn more about what actually occurred, and you guys will discover that the guy is a solid, solid individual.”
And Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, selected to serve as the No. 2 Republican in the next Congress, expressed in a statement that after meeting with Hegseth, he deemed him “a strong nominee to lead the Department of Defense.”
“I look forward to Pete’s hearing and a vote on the Senate floor in January,” Barrasso stated.
Several Republicans dismissed the 2017 police report. “That’s hearsay,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, commented regarding the report, adding: “We’re not going to make decisions based on fragments of the story.”
When asked if he had concerns about the details in the police report, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., replied: “Listen, he denies it; he asserts there’s been no misconduct.”
Cabinet nominees must receive approval from the Senate, and Republicans will lead the chamber in the new Congress starting in January, although Trump has indicated he would prefer to bypass the confirmation process with recess appointments. It remains uncertain whether senators will acquiesce to that plan or if Trump might undertake an unconventional strategy to enforce it.
Trump has informed advisors that he continues to support Hegseth as his nominee despite the sexual assault allegation. Hegseth’s attorney stated Sunday that in 2020, his client paid the woman an undisclosed sum because Hegseth feared for his position at Fox News if the allegation became public.
