As Pete Hegseth continues to come to terms with his turbulent past, Donald Trump is reportedly considering changing his course of action. Indeed, according to rumors in recent hours, the president-elect is thinking of replacing the former Fox News anchor with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who would go on to serve as secretary of the Department of Defense.
Joining the Trump administration could boost the 46-year-old’s political prospects. The news about a possible entry of DeSantis was reported by the Wall Street Journal, after NBC revealed that six Republican senators had expressed numerous doubts about Pete Hegseth’s nomination.
The former Fox host’s confirmation was already in jeopardy because of a sexual assault allegation dating back to 2017. The situation deteriorated further in recent days after The New Yorker revealed that he had been forced out of leadership positions at two veterans’ organizations years ago amid allegations of mismanagement, alcohol abuse, and sexual misconduct.
Hegseth is making the rounds on Capitol Hill this week, meeting with Senate Republicans in an effort to revive his candidacy. Rumors in recent days about him, however, have only fueled doubts among GOP members themselves who seem to be worried less about the harassment and rape allegations against Hegseth and more about his alcohol consumption.
This general skepticism about Hegseth’s ability to lead the Pentagon may have reached Trump himself, who is increasingly open to reconsidering his candidacy. DeSantis and the president-elect spoke on Tuesday when both attended a memorial in Palm Beach for three law enforcement officers killed in a traffic accident last month.
Should he be chosen as leader of the Pentagon, experts say, the governor could support Trump’s stated goal of removing “corrupt” military officers from the Department of Defense. As a presidential candidate, DeSantis had presented a plan for the armed forces that would ban transgender members and reinstate those who refused to be vaccinated during the pandemic.
DeSantis was first elected governor of Florida in 2018 and quickly became one of the Republicans’ stars as a result of his response to the pandemic and his willingness to intervene in controversial battles over race, education, gender, and sexual identity.
Over the years, his relationship with Trump has not always been smooth, far from it. Early in the last campaign, when the two were challenging each other for the primary, the governor accused the MAGA leader of not being conservative enough.
His positions changed over the summer, when he helped raise funds for Trump’s primary campaign.
