Pete Hegseth, Trump’s embattled Pentagon decide, seems to be gaining GOP help

President-elect Donald Trump’s Cupboard picks had been again on Capitol Hill on Tuesday seeking to shore up help amongst Republican senators, together with Pete Hegseth, his embattled selection for protection secretary.

Hegseth final week confronted vital headwinds after new allegations of monetary mismanagement, sexual impropriety and different disqualifying conduct had been reported by the New Yorker. ABC Information has not independently confirmed the journal’s report, and Hegseth’s denied most of the accusations.

However he is likely to be gaining again some floor. On Monday, a key Republican senator appeared to melt her view towards Hegseth.

Sen. Joni Ernst, a member of the Armed Companies Committee and, like Hegseth, a fight veteran, beforehand mentioned she wasn’t able to again Hegseth. However after their second assembly on Monday, she mentioned she’d be “supporting him by this course of” — although she wouldn’t say whether or not she would finally vote in favor of his affirmation.

Hegseth mentioned Tuesday he would not converse for Ernst, however “I admire the time…. wonderful dialog, overseas affairs, fight vet, welcomed all of her perception,” he mentioned whereas transferring between conferences in Hart Senate Workplace Constructing.

Political strain has ramped up on Republican lawmakers to again Trump’s Pentagon selection, as a conservative group with ties to Trump ally Elon Musk is spending half 1,000,000 {dollars} on a brand new advert pushing for Hegseth’s affirmation. An advert urging viewers to name their senator and push them to again Hegseth will run on nationwide tv, however may also be focused on-line in Iowa — Ernst’s residence state.

ABC reported final week Trump was not making calls to senators on Hegseth, as he had for Matt Gaetz, his first selection for legal professional normal. However since then, the president-elect publicly backed Hegseth twice, as soon as in a social media submit after which in an interview with NBC that aired on Sunday. Trump informed “Meet the Press” he nonetheless had confidence in Hegseth and that “he’ll do advantageous.”

Then on Tuesday, the Trump crew launched a hype video for Hegseth that compiled pleasant GOP senators praising him.

“Pete Hegseth is an exceptionally certified, extremely educated, and hard patriot who has not solely served this nation with braveness, however has additionally devoted his life to advocating for our troops and veterans,” Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt mentioned in an announcement. “Mr. Hegseth’s intensive navy expertise, mixed together with his steadfast dedication to restoring the Pentagon and our armed forces to greatness, will advance President Trump’s imaginative and prescient of returning meritocracy, accountability, and effectivity to the United States navy.”

A number of Republican senators mentioned on Tuesday they had been seeing a optimistic flip within the tide for Hegseth.

“Proper now, he’s in fairly good condition. I feel he’s very good,” Sen. Lindsey Graham mentioned after final week calling the reviews about Hegseth “very disturbing.”

“So the accusations about mismanaging cash and about non-consensual conduct. If they arrive ahead, I’ll take heed to these accusations, however they must be credible they usually must be offered in a style that Pete can rebut. So, he is significantly better off this week than he was final week,” Graham mentioned.

Sen. John Cornyn, a key member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, informed reporters after their assembly that he would help Hegseth throughout his affirmation.

“I’ll help Pete Hegseth, as I at all times say, barring any unexpected circumstances. However I’ve identified him a very long time. I used to be happy together with his solutions and I feel that is going to be a tough course of on him and his household and a few of it is going to be enormously unfair however I respect his willingness to surrender a pleasant soft job at Fox with a purpose to serve the nation and the navy that he has devoted a big proportion of his life to,” Cornyn mentioned.

Hegseth had a high-stakes assembly Tuesday afternoon with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one other Republican seen as presumably opposing his affirmation.

Requested by ABC Information Chief White Home Correspondent Mary Bruce if she had realized something that swayed her in any respect, Murkowsky replied, “I had a superb alternate with Mr. Hegseth.”

Then, when requested by reporters if she would help Hegseth’s nomination, she answered, “I had a superb alternate and we’ll see what the method bears.”

She continued, “He is obtained in all probability a minimum of half the Senate that he’s going to go to with. He is obtained a course of that’s going to contain full vetting for the administration.”

ABC Information beforehand reported Trump’s crew was centered on figuring out the place feminine GOP senators stand, given they might determine his destiny given the occasion’s skinny three-seat majority within the new Congress. Hegseth can be anticipated to fulfill with Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday.

Hegseth’s agreed to an FBI background test, which many Republican senators mentioned they wished to be part of the vetting course of. He is additionally appeared to attempt to clear up his previous feedback about girls within the navy.

Hegseth beforehand mentioned girls shouldn’t serve in fight roles. Throughout an interview on Fox Information on Monday, Hegseth claimed he wished to “make clear” his place, although didn’t explicitly reverse his stance.

“I additionally need a chance right here to make clear feedback which have been misconstrued that I by some means do not help girls within the navy,” he mentioned. “A few of our best warriors, our greatest warriors on the market are girls who serve, elevate their proper hand to defend this nation and love our nation, wish to defend that flag and do that each single day.”

Different Trump picks on the Hill on Tuesday embrace Kash Patel, the president-elect’s choice for FBI director, and Tulsi Gabbard, his decide for director of nationwide intelligence.

Patel met with Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who afterwards voiced his help and informed reporters he felt comfy voting for him.

“If you are going to clear up the FBI and really get them centered on mission fairly than politics, refocus them on truly placing America first, doing their job, Kash is the right particular person for that,” Mullin mentioned.

ABC Information’ Benjamin Siegel and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.