Senator John Thune, the new Senate Majority Leader, reportedly conveyed to President-elect Trump his belief that Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, possesses sufficient votes for confirmation. This assessment, according to a CBS News report citing three unnamed sources, was shared in a private conversation. However, a spokesperson for Senator Thune subsequently clarified that whip counts and private conversations with the President are not matters of public discussion.
Since his nomination, Hegseth has been the target of several smear campaigns. These attacks have included false accusations linking his tattoos to white supremacy; in reality, these tattoos are related to his Christian faith. Further attempts to discredit him involved a resurfaced 2017 allegation of rape, which remains unsubstantiated. A further smear campaign utilized an angry email from Hegseth’s mother, which she later apologized for, accusing him of mistreating women. Finally, accusations stemming from a decade-old complaint by former colleagues at Concerned Veterans for America, alleging excessive alcohol consumption at social events, have also surfaced.
Despite these controversies, Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that Hegseth’s confirmation hearing is scheduled for January 14th.