WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his support for Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth, citing the Ivy League-educated former Fox News host's "charisma" and calling him "a WINNER" even as the nomination faces headwinds in Congress amid allegations of misconduct.
A 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran, Hegseth has vowed to continue fighting for the top Department of Defense job and spent the week meeting with U.S. senators as some key lawmakers have said they are not yet ready to support him.
"Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep," Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform. "He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!"
"Thank you Mr. President. Like you, we will never back down," Hegseth responded.
Trump's fellow Republicans will take control of the Senate next month ahead of his Jan. 20 inauguration. If Democrats remain united against Hegseth, he can only afford to lose support from three Republicans and still win Senate approval.
Trump has weighed alternative Republican nominees, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Joni Ernst and Representative Mike Waltz, who Trump has already picked for national security adviser, sources told Reuters earlier this week.
Ernst, a senior Armed Services Committee member who on Thursday said she was not yet ready to back Hegseth, posted on Friday that she planned to meet him next week.
"At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing," she wrote on X.
Hegseth served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and has two Bronze Stars. But he has been criticized for lacking the management experience needed to lead 1.3 million active-duty service members and the nearly 1 million civilians who work for the nation's military.
A California police report showed a woman filed a sexual assault complaint in 2017. Hegseth was never charged and has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer told CNN late Thursday that they may take legal action against the woman if Hegseth is not confirmed.
On Wednesday, Hegseth told Sirius XM that he has "never had a drinking problem" but would nonetheless not drink alcohol if confirmed as defense secretary.
Ernst, herself a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, on Thursday said there must be a very thorough vetting process and that senators wanted "that any allegations have been cleared." Other Republicans offered tepid support.
Two other Trump nominees have already ended their bids for top jobs: former Representative Matt Gaetz for U.S. attorney general and Florida sheriff Chad Chronister for head of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey; additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Steve Holland and Costas Pitas; editing by Andy Sullivan, Jonathan Oatis and Diane Craft)
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