Trump considers Florida Gov. DeSantis to head Pentagon as Hegseth faces increasing scrutiny over past behavior

WASHINGTON — Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s Pentagon pick, was fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions Wednesday about his personal conduct as the president-elect’s team considers alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Trump transition team was increasingly concerned about Hegseth’s path to Senate confirmation and was actively looking at potential replacements, a person familiar with the matter said. Hegseth is under pressure as senators weigh a series of allegations that have surfaced against him.

DeSantis, who competed against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, is being discussed as a possible replacement if Hegseth’s nomination does not move forward, according to three other people familiar with the matter. They were not authorized to publicly discuss internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Hegseth is the latest nominee-designate to be imperiled by personal baggage after the recent withdrawal of Trump’s pick to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose vulnerabilities were well-documented. But Hegseth’s past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of sexual assault, was not widely known.

Trump’s transition team did not do fulsome screening of potential picks before he announced them, and only on Tuesday was an agreement signed with the Department of Justice to allow for formal background checks of those under consideration.

Beyond DeSantis, there have been discussions about shifting Michael Waltz, who was named by Trump as his national security adviser, to the Defense Department, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity about private conversations. The Florida congressman is a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran.

Trump aides do not want to be caught flat-footed in case Trump’s initial picks fall through. Trump, for now, was standing by Hegseth.

After meeting Wednesday with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the incoming majority leader, Hegseth told reporters that that he had received a fresh message of support from Trump.

“I spoke to the president this morning. He supports me fully. We’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth said. He ignored questions about the allegations he has faced.

Hegseth, accompanied by his wife, made the rounds for a third day on Capitol Hill, talking in private with GOP senators before heading to the House. While House members have no direct role in the confirmation process, conservatives can hold outsize influence on the debate.

The Trump transition team didn’t immediately comment. The Wall Street Journal, on Tuesday night, first reported that Trump was considering DeSantis.

In an interview taped Wednesday for Megyn Kelly’s SiriusXM satellite radio show, Hegseth said Trump told him he wanted a “warfighter” who would clean out the “woke crap.”

Citing his Capitol Hills meeting, Hegseth said, “No one has looked me in the eye and said, ‘I have concerns.’” He added: “We’re not backing down one bit.”

Hegseth paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault at a California hotel in 2017 after Hegseth had given a speech at a Republican event. His lawyer said the payment was to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit.

Asked by Kelly if he sexually assaulted the woman, Hegseth said “absolutely not.” He called it a “really unfortunate situation” and said he paid her because he “had to,” contending that her lawyers said they would “out him.”

He declined to reveal the amount paid, but said it was done to protect his wife, himself and his job. Hegseth also denied media reports about his alcohol intoxication at work events.

“I never had a drinking problem,” Hegseth said.

He added: “No one’s ever approached me and said, ‘Oh, you should really look at getting help.’”

Earlier, Hegseth’s mother appeared on Fox News to address multiple allegations that have emerged in the media about Hegseth’s alcohol intoxication at work events, sexual misconduct and potential financial mismanagement.

Penelope Hegseth, on “Fox & Friends,” discussed her son and a 2018 email she wrote him that was obtained by The New York Times, in which she confronted him about mistreating women after he impregnated his current wife while he was married to his second wife.

That letter followed multiple allegations, reported by the New Yorker this week, of questionable conduct around female staffers. Hegseth also was accused of sexual assault in 2017, which Hegseth told California police at the time was a consensual encounter and has denied any wrongdoing.

Hegseth has never held a military or civilian leadership role in the Pentagon, but his mother said his time as a Fox News host and the pressure of that role was a good preparation for leading the Defense Department.

She acknowledged that the allegations against her son have become a distraction and raised concern among some GOP senators.

On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said some of the reports were “disturbing,” telling CBS News that he wants to “make sure that every young woman that joins the military feels respected and welcomed.”

Penelope Hegseth implored the lawmakers to listen to her son and give him a chance.

“I think it can be overcome,” Penelope Hegseth said.

Hegseth is a former Fox News host and a former Army National Guard major and combat veteran who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. If confirmed by the Senate, he would lead a 2 million member strong military — more than 17% of whom are female. The revelations have concerned some members of Congress.

DeSantis is a former Trump ally-turned-rival who became the subject of intense ridicule and hostility from Trump and his campaign when then Florida governor challenged him in the presidential primary.

When DeSantis dropped out and endorsed Trump, the two seemed to have struck a calculated truce, but deep distrust between their closest aides remained.

DeSantis, a 46-year-old former congressman and former Navy officer, would likely to face a smoother time than Hegseth in the Senate, where Republicans are regaining the majority in January.

The governor was a Navy judge advocate general officer, a position that took him to Iraq and the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. As a presidential candidate, he called for ridding the military of “woke” policies.

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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.