MAINE SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS STILL UNSURE ABOUT HEGSETH FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY
Being nominated for the U.S. Secretary of Defense has been a rocky road, to say the least for Pete Hegseth. The Veteran is a noted voice on Fox News but was also thrust into the political spotlight even more following his nomination to Trump’s cabinet. However, his sketchy past involving many negative allegations has turned things into a media circus many in the GOP don’t want to be involved in. As Hegseth tries to convince Republicans that he’s the right man for the job, he’s having to navigate the unknown while vying for support.
Sen. Susan Collins Meets With Pete Hegseth
A private conversation between Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth hasn’t done enough for the Congresswoman to endorse him.
“I pressed him on both his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him,” said Sen. Collins. Additionally, Collins explained that pressed him on policy matters, defense procurement reform, the role of women in the military, sexual assault in the military, and NATO.
During the conversation, which lasted more than an hour, while a variety of topics were discussed, it wasn’t enough for an endorsement. Instead, Sen. Collins is still waiting for more vetting, including a background check from the FBI and a confirmation hearing.
January is fast approaching and is when the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services should hold Hegseth’s confirmation hearing.
An endorsement from Sen. Collins may go a long way for Hegseth’s chances as she has been one of the more vocal Republicans publicly concerned about the nominee’s past allegations.
Besides his possible allegations, the two conversed on a variety of matters, including Hegseth’s plans for shaping policies, reforms to defense procurement, how women warfighters fit in the military—a topic in which Hegseth has been controversial about, as well as current national defense concerns in Europe.
How Hegseth Got the Nomination
If you haven’t been keeping up with the various allegations surrounding Pete Hegseth, let’s get you caught up:
- An incident involving a woman accusing Hegseth of raping her in 2017 would lead to a settlement with the accuser.
- Reports of Hegseth’s inappropriate behavior with women include sexism as well as sexual assault on a staff member while visiting a strip club in Louisiana.
- Allegations of drunken behavior have been reportedly the reason Hegseth has been removed from leadership roles in the past.
- One particular drunken allegation claims Hegseth was chanting “Kill All Muslims! Kill All Muslims!”
Of course, the allegations are just that, and Hegseth as of this writing is still innocent of all of these claims until proven guilty.
Could Pete Hegseth Find Enough Lifelines?
Even without the support of Sen. Collins just yet, Pete Hegseth is still finding notable support in the GOP.
This is virtually necessary as he will need almost every Republican to vote for him in order to be confirmed as the Secretary of Defense.
This is why Hegseth has met with Sen. Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) with the hopes of securing their support.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) wasn’t always on his side; however, a recent meeting seems to point to a more positive relationship between the two.
Supporters of Hegseth aren’t taking the allegations as seriously because there are no public accusers, but it’s still a sensitive situation.
Pete Hegseth will continue to meet with other senators in the hopes of being accepted, but his fate may come down to a thin margin after more rigorous questioning can be conducted and background checks are cleared.
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Source:
Pete Hegseth's Secret History, The New Yorker. Accessed December 2024. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/pete-hegseths-secret-history
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