On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump got on social media and wrote some encouraging statements about his pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, saying, “Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe.” The statement comes amid reports confirmed by multiple sources that Trump is thinking about replacing Hegseth with Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after allegations of sexual misconduct have been reported in the media, which could result in Hegseth having a difficult time getting through the confirmation process.
Fox News is reporting that Trump has invited DeSantis to join him next weekend at the Army-Navy college football game.
DeSantis, a popular conservative governor and a Navy veteran who served in the Iraq War, waged a bitter battle last year and early this year with Trump during a very combative and divisive GOP presidential nomination race. But the two Republican heavyweights seemed to make peace after the primaries, and DeSantis helped raise funds for Trump during the general election. DeSantis, who was re-elected in a landslide in 2022 but is term-limited and cannot run for re-election in 2026, is “very much” in contention to replace Hegseth, multiple sources told Fox News.
Another source told Fox News’ chief political anchor and “Special Report” host Bret Baier that it was the president-elect himself who floated the governor’s name, and that Trump and DeSantis discussed the idea as they met Tuesday while appearing together in Florida at a memorial service for fallen law enforcement officers in Palm Beach County. The reporting from Fox News and other organizations this week came as Hegseth continued meeting with Republican senators as he made his case for confirmation as defense secretary.
Hegseth, who served as an officer in the Army National Guard and was deployed to the wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq and was a host on Fox News, is now facing a series of allegations involving drinking and sexual misconduct. Hegseth has denied the allegations against him and has promised that if he is confirmed as the Secretary of Defense, he will not touch a “drop of alcohol.” That’s probably a good promise for any and all cabinet members, especially those in positions related to national security, to make.
A seemingly defiant Hegseth told reporters on Thursday afternoon that “this will not be a process tried in the media. I don’t answer to anyone in this group. None of you, not to that camera at all. I answer to President Trump, who received 76 million votes on behalf… and a mandate for change. I answer to the 100 senators who are part of this process and those in the committee. And I answer to my Lord and Savior and my wife and my family.”
Trump, in his social media post, argued that Hegseth “will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense . . . , one who leads with charisma and skill.”
Personally, I think either gentleman will do a stellar job in the position so we win either way. However, my main concern with DeSantis is that he’ll no longer be governor of Florida. His leadership has helped make the state a haven for conservatives and has played critical roles in elections. Will that remain the case if he’s no longer there?