President-elect Donald Trump is considering Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as his choice for defense secretary to replace the embattled Fox News host. pete hegsethThree sources familiar with the change told CBS News Tuesday night.
This comes after Trump and DeSantis attended the memorial for fallen law enforcement officers in Florida on Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal first reported this story.
A spokesperson for DeSantis had no comment when contacted by CBS News.
It comes as Hegseth, who was meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill this week to try to build support ahead of his confirmation hearing, faced a round of negative stories linked to sexual misconduct allegations. Is. Financial mismanagement at veterans' charityFrequent drug abuse and infidelity.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters on Tuesday, “Some of these articles are very disturbing. Obviously he has a chance to defend himself here, but some of these things are going to be difficult.” “Only time will tell.”
Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, who said he had also read the reporting and was aware of the allegations, said Hegseth needed to address them.
“I want to know if they're true and I want to hear their side of the story and they have to address them,” he said Tuesday. He also said he was not convinced that Hegseth's nomination would face adversity.
On Monday, The New Yorker informed Before becoming a full-time Fox News host, Hegseth was forced to step down from two non-profit advocacy groups – Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America – amid complaints about his alleged behavior, which included barring him while on the job. The bar involved getting drunk. Hostile work environments and mismanagement of charitable organizations' funds. CBS News informed Jessie Jane Duff, a Marine veteran who served as one of the executive directors of Trump's 2024 campaign, was among those who pressured him in 2016 to kick him out of Concerned Veterans for America.
An attorney for Hegseth has denied the allegations.
DeSantis ran unsuccessfully He ran for the Republican presidential nomination against Trump before abandoning his bid in January after disappointing performances in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries. He supported Trump despite his hostile campaigns at the time. In April, two men in private At a golf club in Florida at DeSantis' request.
