Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Elon Musk are all in line to serve as top government leaders.
All have faced allegations of sexual misconduct of varying degrees.
The president's choice to pursue his agenda reflects hostility to the norms of the incoming administration.Me too“Movement. The behavior that may have caused a person to be fired or canceled (or not nominated for a Cabinet position) in the past several years appears to be less problematic in the Trump 2.0 era.
Getz (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images); Hegseth (John Lamperski/Getty Images); Kennedy (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images); Musk (Alison Robert/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
To be clear: The three men — Gaetz, Hegseth and Musk — have consistently denied the allegations against them.
Gaetz, Trump's Attorney General's ChoiceHe said that despite taking the oath, he did not have sexual relations with a 17-year-old minor while he was a member of Congress. witness testimony On the contrary. Gaetz's allies also point to a Justice Department investigation that resulted in no charges.
A 2017 sexual harassment investigation Pete Hegseth, the man Trump was planning to nominate as defense secretary, has not been charged, according to Hegseth's lawyer. Hegseth entered into a confidential settlement with the woman concerned.
Eight SpaceX employees A lawsuit was filed earlier this year accusing CEO Elon Musk of fostering a hostile work environment that the plaintiffs say was rife with sexual harassment. The eight plaintiffs said that during their employment with SpaceX, they were subjected to “unwanted conduct and comments of a sexual nature by Elon Musk, which created a hostile and abusive work environment,” their lawsuit said. Musk denied the allegations, according to associated Press, musk Has been selected to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency, a government agency that Trump wants to establish.
KennedyTrump's choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the only one of the four that indicated it was possible he had acted inappropriately, stemming from allegations of unwanted sexual advances from a former nanny in the 1990s Apologized.
He told CBS News that he did not remember that conduct, but that he “did not want anyone in the world to feel that I did something that was insensitive or inappropriate.”
Asked if he might have to issue a similar apology to anyone else in the future, Kennedy responded, “It's quite possible. I'm 70 years old. I've had a very busy life.”
Trump himself has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 15 women. In 2023, a jury found him civilly liable for sexually assaulting author E. Jean Carroll.
The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.
Machismo was often a centerpiece of Trump's appeal to voters during the 2024 campaign. He regularly talked about toughness – whether that virtue applied to his immigration policy, combating the illegal drug trade or surviving two assassination attempts.
Wrestler Hulk Hogan gave a primetime speech at the Republican National Convention, taking off his shirt while praising the nominee.
And Trump also spent time on right-leaning podcasts with largely male audiences.
His plea for male culture was successful in November. he had a big advantage Among male voters against Kamala Harris, she won this group by 13 percentage points, compared to an 8-point advantage she had against President Biden in 2020, and an 11-point margin over Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The Senate will make the final decision on whether Gaetz, Hegseth and Kennedy will become confirmed Cabinet secretaries. Ahead of his confirmation hearing, Republican senators, who are likely to provide nearly all of the votes for these four candidates, did not say much about their prospects.
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy was unsure Tuesday whether getz He may get the 51 votes needed for confirmation. “I wouldn't bet my house either way. And if I were betting your house, which would be very easy, I would say 'I don't know,'” he said.
Several Republicans interviewed by CBS News had a similar message: Let the investigation and confirmation process move forward, and don't jump to conclusions, even if the allegations are troubling.
“We're going to have a conversation,” said Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa.
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said, “A legitimate investigation is needed.” “That's what committees do. That's our job.”