Despite evidence of past booze-ups plus inappropriate and reckless behavior involving Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump says his Defense Secretary nominee “does not have a drinking problem.”
“I’ve spoken to people that know him very well,” Trump said in just released excerpts of an interview with Meet the Press scheduled to air Sunday. “A lot of senators call me up saying he’s fantastic,” Trump added, as the Beltway whispering campaign this week has the ex-Fox & Friends Weekend co-host lacking five or six necessary Senate votes to be confirmed for the Pentagon’s top job.
The teetotaler former and future POTUS made the remark in just-released excerpts of an interview with Meet the Press scheduled to air on December 8. Filmed on Friday at Trump Towers in Manhattan, the comments come as Hegseth was back on Capitol Hill most of this week meeting with GOP senators in the hopes of salvaging his nomination and achieving confirmation.
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In exposés by the New Yorker and others, as well as sources at Fox News and the nominee’s own mother, Hegseth’s excessive drinking, an alleged sexual assault, more mistreatment of women and perceived limited leadership skills have been in the spotlight.
Earlier this week, after an scathing email from Hegseth’s mother about his conduct went public, she went on FNC to defend her son and declare that he had changed. Cringe-inducing, that sit-down may have done the nominee more damage than good.
The comments from Trump on NBC News’ flagship Sunday morning show follows the boost he gave Hegseth on social media earlier today after days of silence and rumors that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was waiting in the wings to replace Hegseth as the nominee.
“It looks like Pete is doing well now,” an unusually measured Trump told MTP’s Kristen Welker in the interview excerpts. “I mean, people were a little bit concerned. He’s a young guy, with a tremendous track record actually.”
In his first Big 4 network interview since the election and after appearing at Fox Nation’s Patriot Awards on Thursay, Trump went on to add of Hegseth: “He went to Princeton and went to Harvard. He was a good student at both. But he loves the military and I think people are starting to see it so we’ll be working on his nomination along with a lot of others.”
Asked by Welker whether he really believed Hegseth could get the votes needed and if he still had confidence in the nominee, Trump replied, “Yes I do, I really do.”
“He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him through Fox, but I’ve known him for a long time. And he’s basically a military guy. Every time I talk to him, all he wants to talk about is the military. He’s a military guy.”
In his first time on the world stage since defeating Vice President Kamala Harris on November 5, Trump will be heading to France this weekend for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral after the destructive fire of 2019. Current First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will also be there, as will Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a battalion of word leaders and host Emmanuel Macron.
Retreating quickly from the scene even with more than a month remaining in his term, Joe Biden will not be in attendance.
Meet The Press’ interview with Trump will air in full at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.