WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump is considering dropping his nominee to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, and nominating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in his place, the Wall Street Journal and CBS News reported on Tuesday.
Hegseth’s nomination has run into trouble on Capitol Hill over allegations about his personal and professional life and Trump allies increasingly think Hegseth may not survive further scrutiny, the Journal reported. DeSantis, who lost his bid for the Republican presidential nomination to Trump, was on an earlier list of potential defense secretary candidates before Trump decided to go with Hegseth.
CBS News, citing three sources familiar with the transition, also reported Tuesday that Trump is considering selecting DeSantis as a possible replacement for Hegseth.
DeSantis served in the Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 2004 to 2010. The Journal said Trump could decide not to choose DeSantis and select another replacement if Hegseth’s nomination falls apart.
A combat veteran and former Fox News host, Hegseth would need the support of Senate Republicans to win confirmation to the post. In addition to being accused of sexual assault, a whistleblower report alleged Hegseth had been forced out of the non-profit groups for personal misconduct, mismanagement of funds, and intoxication on the job.
The Trump transition office and DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
After weeks of speculation about whether Trump would follow the normal procedures for presidential transitions for digging into the backgrounds of those proposed for top federal jobs, the president-elect’s transition team announced Tuesday that they entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice for background checks and security clearances.
So far, two Trump picks for senior positions have dropped out. Chad Chronister on Tuesday withdrew from consideration to run the Drug Enforcement Administration, weeks after former Rep. Matt Gaetz dropped out of consideration for attorney general amid intense scrutiny about allegations of sex with an underage girl.
Contributing: Zac Anderson and Charles Ventura, USA TODAY
