US Pentagon: Trump wants to replace Hegseth with DeSantis - report

Berliner Zeitung US Pentagon: Trump wants to replace Hegseth with DeSantis - report Katerina Alexandridi • 1 hour • 2 minutes reading time Is Fox News host and candidate for the Pentagon leadership, Pete Hegseth, already becoming a burden for Donald Trump? As the Wall Street Journal reports, the president-elect is considering replacing Hegseth in light of mounting allegations, including sexual assault, by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. According to the report, while no Republican senator has publicly stated that they would oppose Hegseth's nomination, Trump's allies are increasingly of the opinion that he "could not survive further scrutiny." Hegseth would need the support of Republicans in the Senate to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense. Hegseth is facing allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017 and then paid her to keep quiet. There are reportedly videos, text messages and interviews that back up the alleged victim's claims. Last week, the New York Times reported on an email sent to Hegseth by his mother, in which she wrote, "You are a rapist." She later apologized. According to WSJ sources, Florida Governor DeSantis was on an earlier list of potential candidates for Secretary of Defense presented to the president. Donald Trump ultimately chose Hegseth, and now the list has been revived. Talks are still in the early stages, one of the sources said, but Trump could choose another candidate. Neither the president-elect's nor DeSantis' spokespeople would comment on the report. DeSantis, who rose to international prominence for his opposition to coronavirus lockdowns, was once considered a close ally of Trump, but his decision to challenge the former president in the 2024 Republican primary sparked a bitter conflict between them. Since then, Trump has considered him disloyal, but "friends of the two have worked to mend the relationship," according to the WSJ. Even if Trump ultimately does not choose DeSantis to head the Pentagon, a withdrawal of Hegseth's candidacy seems more than likely. Two weeks ago, the president-elect was forced to withdraw the nomination of former Republican Representative Matt Gaetz as attorney general after he was accused of sex trafficking.