President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is continuing to gain support in the Senate despite the backlash he’s faced in recent weeks.
Following a series of meetings on Capitol Hill last week, Hegseth received support from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who said she was willing to give him a chance in a statement on Monday.
“As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources,” Ernst said.
The Senator also shared in her statement that she’s met with Hegseth multiple times, saying on Monday that they’ve had “encouraging conversations.”
Ernst added that Hegseth committed to completing a full Pentagon audit if he is confirmed as Secretary of Defense, a commitment that could be huge as the DOD has failed its audit for the last seven years.
Hegseth also vowed to select officials who “uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women” and would work to prevent sexual assault in the military.
Ernst was one of a handful of Republican Senators that have questioned Hegseth’s nomination. The other two, whom he is also meeting with this week, are Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
Both have raised concerns about reports of alleged financial and sexual misconduct by Hegseth.
Those reports have cited anonymous sources, sparking criticism from some Republicans that the media was attempting to hurt his chances of being confirmed.
“The allegations against Pete are anonymous sources. I’m not going to make any decisions based on an anonymous source. If you’re not willing to raise your hand under oath and make the accusation, it doesn’t count. I’ve heard everything about all of these people. None of it counts. No rumors, no innuendo,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) shared with Fox News earlier this month.