President-elect Donald Trump’s decide for secretary of protection, Pete Hegseth, celebrated that he had a “great meeting” with Sen. Joni Ernst after the Iowa Republican slow-walked an endorsement of the Cupboard nominee.
“It was a great meeting. People don’t really know this. I’ve known Sen. Ernst for over 10 years. I knew her when she was a state senator running to be the first female combat veteran,” Hegseth informed Fox Information’ Sean Hannity in an unique interview Monday night. “And we supported her in that effort, and have continued to.”
“You get into these meetings and you to listen to senators – it’s an amazing advise and consent process — and you hear how thoughtful, serious, substantive they are on these key issues that pertain to our Defense Department,” he continued. “And Joni Ernst is front and center on that. So to able to have phone calls and meetings time and time again to talk over the issues is really, really important. The fact that she’s willing to support me through this process means a lot.”
AFTER SECOND MEETING WITH HEGSETH, ERNST HINTS AT WHETHER SHE WILL OR WON’T SUPPORT CONFIRMATION
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Protection Secretary, offers a thumbs-up as he walks together with his spouse Jennifer Hegseth, left, to fulfill with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a member of the Senate Armed Companies Committee, on the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite) (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite)
Hegseth has been spending his days on Capitol Hill assembly with Republican senators to rally assist as he battles allegations of sexual misconduct, extreme ingesting and mismanaging a veterans nonprofit group. Hegseth has denied the allegations and vowed that he will not drink “a drop of alcohol” if confirmed to Trump’s cupboard.
PETE HEGSETH SAYS HE WILL BE ‘STANDING RIGHT HERE IN THIS FIGHT’ AFTER MEETING WITH SENATORS
Amongst Hegseth’s conferences on Monday, he once more met with Ernst, who sits on the Senate Armed Companies Committee, after assembly together with her final week.
Final week, Ernst withheld committing to voting in favor of Hegseth, however hinted Monday that she is starting to assist the Trump nominee.
Ernst wrote in a press release Monday that “as I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.”
She added in her assertion that “following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women – based on quality and standards, not quotas – and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks.”
Secretary of Protection nominee Pete Hegseth joins Fox Information Sean Hannity. (Fox Information)
Trump nominated Hegseth, a former Nationwide Guard officer, as secretary of protection final month, saying “with Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.” Hegseth was a number on “Fox & Friends Weekend” earlier than Trump’s nomination.
Fox Information Digital reported Sunday, following Ernst’s preliminary hesitation to assist Hegseth, that Trump’s allies had been anticipated to ramp up criticisms towards her as she stalls on providing assist to Trump’s secretary of protection decide.
CONSERVATIVE GROUP COMPILES LIST OF ‘WOKE’ SENIOR OFFICERS THEY WANT PETE HEGSETH TO FIRE
“It’s really this simple: If you oppose President Trump’s nominees, you oppose the Trump agenda and there will be a political price to pay for that. We are well aware that there are certain establishment Senators trying to tank the President’s nominees to make him look weak and damage him politically, and we’re just not going to allow that to happen,” a prime Trump ally informed Fox Information Digital.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican coverage luncheon within the U.S. Capitol on February 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures)
Hegseth continued in his interview with Hannity that he may also meet with Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, who Hannity recognized as a pair of extra liberal Republican senators in comparison with their colleagues.
“We will be meeting with Sen. Collins on Wednesday and Sen. Murkowski on Tuesday. And let me tell you, Sean, the founders got this right. This is not a trivial process. This is a real thing: advise and consent of a nominee who the president has chosen. And I’m so grateful that President Trump would have the faith in me to lead the Defense Department, to choose me to do that. But this advise and consent process, meeting with all the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and they all have great questions, and my answers are for them,” Hegseth mentioned.
The SecDef nominee additionally pushed again on claims of impropriety throughout the interview, arguing “the left is trying to turn this into a trial in the media – show trial – and we’re not going to let that happen.”
“I’m going to walk into the door of every one of these senators with just, as an open book, willing to answer their questions, because they deserve answers. … I’ve heard great things about all of these senators and the questions they want to ask, and we look forward to earning these votes. That’s what it’s about, ultimately earning the votes through the committee and through the entire U.S. Senate,” he mentioned.
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be protection secretary, is joined by his spouse Jennifer Hegseth, as they stroll by way of the basement of the Capitol, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington. (AP Picture/Mark Schiefelbein) (AP Picture/Mark Schiefelbein)
Reviews surfaced final week alleging Trump had misplaced religion in his nominee as Democrats slammed the selection and a few Republicans, similar to Sen. Lindsey Graham, remarked the allegations towards Hegseth had been “disturbing.” Trump bucked the claims when he doubled down on his assist of Hegseth in a Reality Social put up on Friday, whereas Vice President-elect JD Vance additionally mentioned the Trump workforce is “not abandoning this nomination.”
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage throughout a marketing campaign rally at Desert Diamond Area on August 23, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. The rally, held in partnership with Turning Level PAC and Turning Level Motion, comes come two weeks after Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Harris held a rally on the similar location. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Pictures)
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”Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep,” Trump wrote on Reality Social on Friday. “He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!”
Fox Information Digital’s Cameron Cawthorne and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
