President-elect Donald J. Trump nominated Pete Hegseth, a decorated war veteran, to helm the Defense Department. Hegseth, now a Fox News host, tapped to be our next secretary of defense triggered all the right people. Trump, with no election hanging over his head, is going balls to the wall regarding his picks, selecting people who will take baseball bats to these institutions to uproot the bad apples that are aiming to hamstring the incoming Trump presidency. They’re also terrible, borderline treasonous bureaucrats who need to be put out to pasture.
Yet, there’s the confirmation process. Mr. Hegseth, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), was nominated as attorney general, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was selected as health and human services secretary. There will be tough battles on the Hill. We’re at a stage where it’s too early to call, of course, but voters have approved of the Trump transition. Moreover, with all the baggage, it’s not wild to say that most, if not all, of Trump’s picks will be confirmed at this point. We might have some woman trouble ahead for Mr. Hegseth, however. They’re allegations that are well-known in this town. While these developments are not good, the one thing glossed over is that he was already investigated and cleared. Mr. Hegseth was involved in a sexual assault incident in California back in 2017 (via Newsweek):
Pete Hegseth entered into a settlement with the woman who accused him of sexual assault because he knew the allegation could get him fired from Fox News, his attorney has said.
It came out last week that Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense, was investigated for sexual assault in California seven years ago. No charges were filed and Hegseth has "vigorously denied any and all accusations," Trump spokesman Steven Cheung told Vanity Fair.
It has since been revealed that in 2023, Hegseth entered into a mutual nondisclosure agreement with the accuser, which included him paying her an unknown sum, The Washington Post reported, citing a statement from Hegseth's lawyer Tim Parlatore.
"Hegseth strongly felt that he was the victim of blackmail," Parlatore said, so he "ultimately decided to enter into a settlement for a significantly reduced amount" because he knew that the revelation "would result in his immediate termination from Fox."
Some allege that the Trump transition team is searching for replacement candidates for SecDef. We’ll see what happens since the source is suspect:
Wow. Sources say Trump transition officials are starting to think of new candidates to replace @PeteHegseth for Defense Secretary after he failed to disclose he paid a woman to settle a rape allegation (he denies it)https://t.co/mpDmDH75vI
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) November 19, 2024
It’s anyone’s guess, but for now, Trump might be looking at replacements. The president-elect isn’t keen on abandoning anyone right now.
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