President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s pick to lead the Defense Department got a big round of support this week from his colleagues at Fox News.<\/p>\n
Fox & Friends co-hosts vigorously defended their former colleague Wednesday morning amid reports about Hegseth\u2019s alleged behavior in the past.<\/p>\n
Fox News co-host Lawrence Jones lauded his ex-colleague: \u201cHe\u2019s a Harvard guy. He\u2019s a Princeton guy. He\u2019s been talking about this stuff for years where the whole book about transforming the military, the way that we\u2019re doing things, the wokeness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jones then slammed an NBC News\u00a0report\u00a0alleging that Hegseth had a drinking problem that supposedly concerned his former Fox News employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd by the way, there\u2019s reports coming out there, too, that we know for we\u2019ve known for years that we know that\u2019s just not true,\u201d Jones said. \u201cAnd the fact that they\u2019re going out there with unnamed sources when we sit on the couch with him almost every day, for over ten years. Its just \u2014 to me, that is the stunning part, especially when you don\u2019t reach out to his cohosts of the show for comment to say, \u2018Hey, what do you guys think about this?\u2019 No one has been contacted about that. I think that screams that it\u2019s a witch hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve Doocy chimed in and provided greater context for Fox & Friends viewers learning about these allegations for the first time: \u201cIn the Wall Street Journal article, it talks a little bit about it. It sounds like Donald Trump down at Mar-a-Lago is actually floating. You know, he\u2019s casually suggested, \u2018Okay, if it doesn\u2019t work out, what about Ron DeSantis?\u2019 Another name apparently that is apparently way down the list on Plan B is Elbridge Colby, discussed by some Trump allies. Also, some have suggested Joni Ernst, according to the Wall Street Journal, and they\u2019ve got the exclusive on this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently, a number of the Republican senators are warning Pete that you\u2019re going to face a grilling during public confirmation hearings,\u201d Doocy continued. \u201cThe allegations, sexual assault, adultery, excessive alcohol use and financial mismanagement. According to the Wall Street Journal, there are apparently six Republican senators who are not completely on board with him. So that would be a deal breaker. And maybe that\u2019s why they\u2019re looking at Plan B. \u201c<\/p>\n
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\u201cThat the roadblock to a nomination process to me is almost blasphemous because of this entire thing that the American people voted into office,\u201d chimed in Emily Compagno. \u201cNo, we will not succumb to the left\u2019s playbook. We will not succumb to Kavanaugh becoming a verb in that the left likes to wield the media and a very public witch hunt to thwart the possibility for actual success. And that\u2019s the whole point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian Kilmeade concluded by praising his former Fox News \u201cbuddy,\u201d saying, \u201cPhysically, Pete is cut out of stone, is a rock. The guy eats healthier, acts healthier, works harder, and literally works on his ranch. He does. He has a lifestyle that reflects this discipline.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hegseth told reporters during a hallway interview at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday that he\u2019s not going to drop out of consideration despite mounting allegations of sexual and personal misconduct.<\/p>\n
Former Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth, an Army officer with documented combat experience, said that he spoke with Trump earlier in the day and that the president-elect encouraged him to \u201ckeep fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to the President-elect this morning. He said keep going, keep fighting\u2026 Why would I back down? I\u2019ve always been a fighter,\u201d he told a reporter.<\/p>\n
Asked directly if he was thinking of withdrawing his name amid the allegations, Hegseth said he was on Capitol Hill to meet with senators and that would continue.<\/p>\n
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