Between his Capitol Hill meetings this week with Republican senators, who will decide his political fate, Hegseth wasn’t very kind to the reporters that were trailing him with cameras and microphones.
“I don’t answer to anyone in this group. None of you,” Hegseth told reporters who have tried to sink his nomination with stories about his cross tattoos; a sexual enounter that included a financial settlement; a leaked private email to him from his mother; and now accusations of drunkenness on the Fox News set.
Hegseth’s defenders have called those stories “hit pieces” against him, such as an NBC News story about his drinking. That story quoted anonymous sources at Fox News – 10 people in all – but did not include any on-the-record interviews from people who have worked with him at Fox News.
One of Hegseth’s defenders is Breanna Morello, a former Fox News booking producer. Citing her first-hand knowledge of Hegseth, she fired off a letter to all 100 U.S. senators that states “not once” did she ever hear any Fox News producer mention a drinking problem.
Other well-known Fox News names have also publicly defended Hegseth, including “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-hosts Will Cain and Rachel Campos-Duffy. Others who have publicly come to his defense include Fox News contributors Lara Logan, Guy Benson, Mollie Hemingway, and Lisa Boothe.
Cain and Campos-Duffy have stated publicly they were never contacted by NBC News for its story, but it is possible other Hegseth defenders could be the same anonymous sources who talked to NBC News for its story – unless the story is completely false.
Hill story says DeSantis is next
Despite the public support for Hegseth, a story by The Hill says the embattled nominee is likely doomed because some GOP senators oppose him.
“I think most people do not expect Hegseth to make it,” a Republican senator told The Hill. “There’s seven or eight votes against him. It’s a matter of time.”
When a new U.S. Senate is seated in January, the Republican Party will have a slim 53-seat majority.
According to the same Hill story, Trump is expected to replace Hegseth’s nomination at any moment with Ron DeSantis, the popular Florida governor.
Any political fallout from swapping Hegseth for DeSantis is unknown since Trump’s most rabid supporters despise the Florida governor for seeking the Republican nomination earlier this year.
Jenna Ellis, the former Trump attorney and now an American Family Radio host, tells AFN she can confirm The Hill story about DeSantis is credible.
“Several sources close to President Trump and Gov. DeSantis are telling me it’s only a matter of time before Trump will formally nominate DeSantis for Defense Secretary,” Ellis tells AFN.
Trump dismisses 'Fake News'
Despite those reports, Trump publicly defended his current nominee in a Truth Social post that published today, Dec. 6.
“Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe,” Trump wrote.
Among the GOP senators trying to sink Hegseth’s nomination is Joni Ernst. She has voiced her opposition in numerous phone calls with Trump but did not tell Hegseth before meeting with him on Capitol Hill, according to a Federalist story published this week.
Not only is Ernst trying to sink Hegseth, the Federalist story quotes a “Trump source” who said the Iowa senator wants the Defense Secretary post herself.
Another senator being blamed for trying to sinking Hegseth is Lindsey Graham. He has publicly stated he supports Hegseth but is accused in the Federalist story of supporting Ernst in her bid to be the Defense Secretary.
In an X post published Thursday, author and talk show host Mark Levin called Sen. Ernst the "ringleader" in trying to end Hegseth's nomination.
In other social media posts viewed by AFN, some conservative activists have vowed to support a GOP primary opponent if GOP senators fail to support Hegseth's nomination.
Some accounts on X have listed the Senate phone numbers and urged people to burn up the phone lines to support Hegseth.
In a blunt X post Friday morning, Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce accused both Graham and Ernst of being "overconfident" in the "status quo" on Capitol Hill.
"But as a friendly reminder, things have changed, and continuing to try to kneecap Hegseth will not work out well for either one of you," she wrote.
