Will Pete Hegseth get Senate approval? Our experts are unanimous
Following the departure of Donald Trump’s attorney general pick Matt Gaetz, who was forced to step down after being dogged by allegations he slept with a high school girl, attention will turn to his defence secretary hopeful, Pete Hegseth.
Mr Hegseth is also at the centre of a media scandal as he is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a political Conference in California.
Both men deny the allegations against them.
While Republicans rally behind former Fox News host Hegseth, our experts have their say on whether he will face the same fate as Mr Gaetz.
You’d have to be hopelessly naive – or Ann Selzer – not to predict that Trump’s nomination picks for Cabinet would run into trouble even before the official hearings.
Matt Gaetz is now out of the running to become the next head of the DOJ, with eyes now swivelling to the similarly embattled Pete Hegseth, proposed as secretary for defence.
It’s hard not to wonder whether or not Trump was playing four-dimensional chess here. Gaetz stepping down will buy a ton of goodwill with the Republican Party, if only out of relief. Democrats holding their breath in anticipation of more chaos might find themselves disappointed – there’s no guarantee that the pressure placed on Gaetz will transfer to Hegseth.
It would be a dangerous thing indeed for the Republicans to appear weak to outside pressure. Hegseth’s removal, voluntary or otherwise, would only embolden those who want to see the backs of RFK Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Howard Lutnick, and Steve Witkoff. The stakes are too high to play nice.
Hegseth is an extremely strong candidate in his own right. A veteran who served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the former TV personality has focused his ire on the “woke” US military, which has traded the value of merit for the hollow bauble of representation.
He’s willing to fire “extraconstitutional and agenda-driven” generals. And his loyalty, surely the most important prerequisite for serving on Team Trump, is indisputable. That his selection enraged military swamp denizens will only make him more attractive to the incoming president. You know you’re doing something right when the Atlantic’s Jonathan Chait calls you “Donald Trump’s most dangerous Cabinet pick”.
Hegseth is undeniably radical, and Republicans may feel that they are being prudent in trying to avoid another Brett Kavanaugh confirmation debacle. But being seen to back away from another candidate could backfire spectacularly.
Take it from Senator Tommy Tuberville. Just how many Democrats voted against Biden’s Cabinet nominees, including those who pushed for exactly the sort of disastrous far-Left policies that threw the election? Zero. Standing in front of the Senate floor, Senator Tuberville reminded the assembled officials that there is a difference between rubber-stamping and taking a stand for transformative leadership.
As Barack Obama said, “elections have consequences”. MAGA is a transformative agenda, and needs transformative leadership. Anything less is a betrayal of the mandate for radical change the American people handed Mr Trump on November 5.
It was a major setback when Matt Gaetz was forced to abandon his nomination for attorney general on Thursday, and the Trump team will be desperately keen to avoid a repeat performance over Pete Hegseth.
So concerned are they about a narrative developing, a spokesman for the transition team emailed reporters shortly after Mr Gaetz dropped out to remind them of 11 endorsements Mr Hegseth has already received from Senate Republicans.
The fear is that moderates will smell blood, and look to block further appointments that carry a risk of impropriety. Mr Hegseth has denied the allegations of sexual assault made against him.
Realistically, it seems very unlikely that a GOP-controlled Senate will try to frustrate Mr Trump’s appointments any further. Mr Gaetz acted as something of a lightning rod for moderates fretting about his choices – and there are some who think that was a deliberate strategy from the president-elect.
At a risk of making a prediction that later unravels with events, I think Mr Gaetz is probably the last nominee we see who is forced to stand down.
Mr Trump, for all his bombast, is keen to avoid burning through political goodwill among his Republican colleagues before he has even taken office. The sensible option would be to keep his powder dry for when he needs the votes later on.
His choice of Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, to replace Mr Gaetz is a strong hint he has finished with his most controversial nominations. I think Mr Hegseth will squeak through.
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