Source: Politics<\/p>\n
After a bruising week of headlines about allegations of alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct, and the uphill battle he faces in the Senate, aides and allies of Donald Trump say Hegseth is in a better position politically now than he was just 48 hours ago, when it was leaked that the president-elect was already coming up with a contingency plan to tap Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis should his preferred pick drop out.<\/p>\n
That isn\u2019t to say Hegseth is out of the woods. Multiple Republican senators have said the allegations against him are serious and deserve scrutiny. He has yet to meet with key GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine and some senators have indicated they are not ready to support Hegseth. But Trump\u2019s advisers say they are optimistic that none have said “no” and Hegseth may benefit from some good timing.<\/p>\n
On Thursday night, Trump attended the Fox News Patriot Awards in New York, where the president-elect heard praise for Hegseth from his colleagues. And Trump was pleased with Hegseth\u2019s pledge to fight for his nomination on Capitol Hill earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
By Friday morning, Trump \u2014 who has been quiet this week as Hegseth met with senators \u2014 publicly praised him with a post on Truth Social.<\/p>\n
“Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep,” Trump wrote.<\/p>\n
Vice presidential nominee JD Vance echoed Trump\u2019s support, writing on X, \u201cLed by President Trump, we’re fighting for Pete Hegseth\u2026We’ve got his back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump is also scheduled to pre-tape his interview with Kristen Welker for NBC\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press\u201d on Friday afternoon before flying to Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame. One Trump ally said they expected he would have the opportunity to reiterate his support for Hegseth, providing a video clip that could help shield him from skeptics for at least a few days.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Hegseth has been working to save himself in the media. He was notably the only Senate-confirmable candidate to sit down for an interview this week as it appeared he was making a last-ditch effort to salvage his chances and garner public support. And his own mother appeared on \u201cFox & Friends\u201d as a character witness after The New York Times published a 2018 email she wrote blasting her son as an \u201cabuser of women.\u201d She said her son is now a \u201cnew man.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, Trump\u2019s allies and advisers are closing watching key senators \u2014 in particular female Republicans. While some, like Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), indicated they\u2019re supporting Hegseth, others such as Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) have not yet decided.<\/p>\n
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has been the most outwardly skeptical of Hegseth. Earlier this week she indicated to Trump that Hegseth would have a difficult time getting confirmed, according to two people familiar with their conversation. Her skepticism of Hegseth prompted a fierce pressure campaign from the right, with some even threatening to primary her when she is up for reelection in 2026. There is also a whisper campaign that she is trying to trip up Hegseth to get the Defense secretary role herself, which she has denied.<\/p>\n
Notably on Friday morning, the Republican National Committee blasted out an op-ed written by Trump ally Brenna Bird, the attorney general of Iowa, that was viewed by some Republicans as a veiled primary threat.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn recent days, it\u2019s become clear that D.C. politicians think they can ignore the voices of their constituents and entertain smears from the same outlets that have pushed out lies for years,\u201d Bird wrote.<\/p>\n