Two things are true this morning:
Pete Hegseth is on very thin ice as he tries to hold on as Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense
Ron DeSantis —yes, that Ron DeSantis — is a leading potential Hegseth replacement
As I told you a few days ago in this space, the momentum on Hegseth is all in the wrong direction. The drip-drip-drip of negative stories seems endless, with the latest being this from NBC News:
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, drank in ways that concerned his colleagues at Fox News, according to 10 current and former Fox employees who spoke with NBC News.
Two of those people said that on more than a dozen occasions during Hegseth’s time as a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” which began in 2017, they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air. Those same two people, plus another, said that during his time there he appeared on television after they’d heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set.
One of the sources said they smelled alcohol on him as recently as last month and heard him complain about being hungover this fall.
And just check out the reversal on Hegseth from Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis in just the last 24 hours.
Again, they’re throwing disparaging remarks at someone who has earned a great deal of credibility. Are soldiers sometimes wild childs? Yeah, that can happen but it is very clear that this guy is the guy who, at a time when Americans are losing confidence in their own military, in our ability to project strength around the world, that Pete Hegseth is the answer to that concern.
And here’s Lummis on Tuesday night:
These allegations that have come up just in the last 12 to 14 hours are a surprise to all of us, and so, yes, he does need to address those, because this was not something of which we were aware, nor was President Trump aware of them.
Ahem.
Another sign of how bad it’s gotten for Hegseth? Trump is already on the phone with at least one potential replacement in DeSantis. It’s never a good sign when your potential boss is sounding out replacements while you are still technically in the job!
And there’s a poetic — and Trump-y — element here. Trump is, at heart, a reality TV show producer and star. And, as such, he loves nothing more than a redemption arc. Former foe turns ally! Pudding Fingers turns SecDef!
I still think that Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst makes more sense as the next Secretary of Defense — military vet, sexual assault survivor — than DeSantis. But, it’s Trump! Who knows?!
The Morning is a FREE post. Thank you for your support of my journalism. I hope you consider upgrading to a paid subscription — if you haven’t already! — so that I can continue to bring you this sort of coverage through the transition and into Trump’s 2nd term as president.
Share this post