WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump’s allies on Capitol Hill rallied round Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Pentagon choose, on Thursday whilst new details surfaced about allegations that he had sexually assaulted a lady in 2017.
The GOP embrace of Hegseth got here as one other controversial Trump nominee, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration for lawyer basic. Gaetz mentioned it was clear he had turn into a “distraction” amid stress on the Home to launch an ethics report about allegations of his personal sexual misconduct. An lawyer for 2 girls has mentioned that his shoppers instructed Home Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for intercourse on a number of events starting in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman.
Contemporary questions over the 2 nominees’ pasts, and their therapy of girls, arose with Republicans below stress from Trump and his allies to shortly affirm his Cupboard. On the identical time, his transition has thus far balked on the vetting and background checks which have historically been required.
Whereas few Republican senators have publicly criticized any of Trump’s nominees, it turned clear after Gaetz’s withdrawal that many had been harboring personal considerations about him. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served with Gaetz within the Home, mentioned it was a “optimistic transfer.” Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker mentioned it was a “optimistic growth.” Maine Sen. Susan Collins mentioned Gaetz “put nation first and I’m happy along with his choice.”
After assembly with Hegseth, although, Republicans rallied round him. “I believe he’s going to be in fairly good condition,” mentioned Wicker, who is anticipated to chair the Senate Armed Providers Committee within the subsequent Congress.
Republican senators’ cautious phrases, and their early reluctance to publicly query Trump’s picks, illustrated not solely their worry of retribution from the incoming president but in addition a few of their hopes that the affirmation course of can proceed usually, with correct vetting and background checks that would probably disqualify problematic nominees earlier. Gaetz withdrew after assembly with senators on Wednesday.
Sen. Thom Tillis mentioned Gaetz was “in a stress cooker” when he determined to withdraw, however steered that it will have little bearing on Trump’s different nominees. “Transactions — separately,” he mentioned.
Because the Hegseth nomination proceeds, Republicans additionally look like betting that they will not face a lot backlash for publicly setting apart the allegations of sexual misconduct — particularly after Trump received election after being discovered answerable for sexual abuse final 12 months.
Hegseth held a spherical of personal conferences alongside incoming Vice President JD Vance on Thursday in an try and shore up help and instructed reporters afterward: “The matter was absolutely investigated and I used to be fully cleared, and that’s the place I’m gonna go away it.”
A 22-page police report report made public late Wednesday provided the primary detailed account of the allegations towards him. A girl instructed police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her cellphone, blocked the door to a California lodge room and refused to let her go away. The report cited police interviews with the alleged sufferer, a nurse who handled her, a lodge staffer, one other lady on the occasion and Hegseth.
Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Palatore, mentioned the incident was “absolutely investigated and police discovered the allegations to be false.” Hegseth paid the woman in 2023 as part of a confidential settlement to head off the specter of what he described as a baseless lawsuit, Palatore has mentioned.
Wicker performed down the allegations towards Hegseth, a former Fox Information host, saying that “since no prices had been introduced from the authorities, we solely have press stories.”
Sen. Invoice Hagerty, R-Tenn., mentioned after his assembly with Hegseth that he “shared with him the truth that I used to be saddened by the assaults which can be coming his means.”
Hagerty dismissed the allegations as “a he-said, she-said factor” and referred to as it a “disgrace” that they had been being raised in any respect.
The senator mentioned consideration ought to as an alternative be centered on the Protection Division that Hegseth would head. It is some of the complicated components of the federal authorities with greater than 3 million workers, together with army service members and civilians. Sexual assault has been a persistent drawback within the army, although Pentagon officials have been cautiously optimistic they’re seeing a decline in reported sexual assaults amongst active-duty service members and the army academies.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, who would be the No. 2 Republican within the Senate subsequent 12 months, mentioned after his assembly with Hegseth that the nominee is a powerful candidate who “pledged that the Pentagon will deal with energy and arduous energy – not the present administration’s woke political agenda.”
Senate Republicans are below stress to carry hearings as soon as they take workplace in January and ensure nominees as quickly as Trump is inaugurated, regardless of questions on whether or not Trump’s decisions will likely be correctly screened or if some, like Hegseth, have sufficient expertise for the job.
Senate Armed Providers Chairman Jack Reed, who would be the prime Democrat on the panel subsequent 12 months, mentioned the stories on Hegseth “emphasised the necessity for a radical investigation by the FBI on the background of all of the nominees.”
It takes a easy majority to approve Cupboard nominations, that means that if Democrats all opposed a nominee, 4 Republican senators would additionally must defect for any Trump option to be defeated. Trump has made clear he’s keen to place most stress on Senate Republicans to present him the nominees he needs – even suggesting at one level that they permit him to only appoint his nominees with no Senate votes.
However senators insist, for now, that they aren’t giving up their constitutional energy to have a say.
“The president has the appropriate to make the nominations that he sees match, however the Senate additionally has a duty for recommendation and consent,” mentioned Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota. Within the case of Gaetz, he mentioned, “I believe there was recommendation provided reasonably than consent.”
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