Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill Thursday to accompany President-elect Donald Trump’s decide to be secretary of the Division of Protection, Pete Hegseth, the place they’re assembly with Republican senators to debate the nomination course of.
Hegseth met with Republican Sen. John Barrasso Thursday morning, after which Barasso referred to as the previous Fox Information host a “sturdy nominee.”
“Pete pledged that the Pentagon will give attention to power and arduous energy — not the present administration’s woke political agenda,” Barrasso mentioned.
Sen. Roger Wicker, the highest Republican on the Senate Armed Providers Committee — which is able to handle the secretary of protection nomination and eventual listening to, met with Hegseth and Vance Thursday morning for about an hour.
After the assembly, Wicker mentioned Hegseth could be in “fairly good condition” throughout his affirmation course of.
Hegseth, an Military veteran, might face a difficult street to affirmation and is talking with Republican senators to in hopes of serving to his nomination course of.
Pete Hegseth walks to an elevator for a gathering with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York Metropolis, Dec. 15, 2016.
Evan Vucci/AP
Hegseth’s go to to Capitol Hill comes after new particulars emerged on the 2017 sexual assault declare in opposition to him.
The girl who accused Hegseth of sexual assault in 2017 advised police on the time that he took her cellphone and blocked her from leaving the room the night time of the incident, in response to a 22-page police report posted on-line in a single day. Hegseth advised police the encounter was consensual.
The girl advised police she had drank “way more than regular” and couldn’t remembers many particulars of the night, however remembered saying “no” so much throughout her encounter with Hegseth, in response to the report.
Requested if the Hegseth allegations and police report got here up of their dialog, Wicker mentioned they did not get into specifics.
“We weren’t particular, however, ya know, since no fees had been introduced by the authorities, we’ve solely press studies,” Wicker mentioned.
Hegseth has been concerned in different controversies as effectively. He has mentioned in interviews earlier than being named that he advocated a “frontal assault” on the DOD, together with firing what he referred to as “woke” generals and eliminating the Pentagon’s variety objectives. He additionally argued that america “mustn’t have ladies in fight roles.”
Hegseth’s Capitol Hill go to comes simply at some point after Vance and former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s nominee to be legal professional common, met with senators to make his case for the position.
Gaetz’s conferences with senators occurred the identical day the Home Ethics Committee determined in opposition to releasing the report into him over allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
Each Gaetz and Hegseth are amongst a handful of individuals nominated by Trump to serve in his cupboard who many senators mentioned they imagine will face an uphill battle to be confirmed. Many senators mentioned they need to nonetheless undergo the nomination course of and have an opportunity to defend themselves.
“My intention is to vote for all of the president’s nominees,” GOP Sen. Josh Hawley mentioned of Gaetz on Wednesday. “I feel for my colleagues who’re — who’ve considerations in regards to the legal professional common nominee, my message could be, effectively, let’s have a listening to on this. You’ll be able to ask no matter — if you happen to’re a member of the committee, you’ll be able to ask no matter query you need, give Gaetz the chance to reply questions, lay out his imaginative and prescient, reply considerations.”
