Thune has privately told Trump that Hegseth has the votes to be confirmed as Defense Secretary, sources say
senate majority leader John Thune Privately told President-elect Donald Trump that he believed Peter Heggs will receive the votes to be confirmed as defense secretary, according to three sources.
When asked for comment, Thune’s spokesman told CBS News only, “There are two things we do not discuss publicly: the whip count and private conversations with the president.”
New Senate Majority Leader Interview with Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation”“Promised a fair process but expressed greater caution.
“I think these nominees are all new enough that they’ve been moving around and having meetings, and frankly I think the meetings have gone well, but they still have to make their case in front of the committee. And, you know, We don’t know everything about some of these nominees.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker said Hegseth’s confirmation hearing is scheduled for January 14.
On November 12, a week after the election, Trump named Heggs as his pick for secretary of defense. Days later, Hegseth faced criticism over allegations of past sexual misconduct. an unidentified woman defendant In 2017, Hegseth was sexually assaulted in a hotel room in Moniteree, California.
Kevin Dickey/Getty Images
Hegseth claimed the sex was consensual and prosecutors declined to press charges. Hegseth and the plaintiffs reached a confidential financial settlement in 2023.
Heggs also Problems faced about his stewardship of the veterans organization he once led and NBC reports Hegseth’s colleagues at Fox News were concerned about his drinking.
Hegseth has said he would not drink if he became defense secretary.
According to sources, other important confirmation hearings are also tentatively scheduled for the week of January 13 in preparation for the January 20 inauguration.
In many committees, Democrats are still actively negotiating with Republicans on those dates. The date may be pushed back before the committee takes public notice of the hearing.
Senate Foreign Relations will hold confirmation hearings for Marco Rubio and Elise Stefanik the week of January 13, before the committee Chairman James Risch said he hopes Rubio can be confirmed on January 20, Trump’s first day in office, which would require cooperation from every senator. Rubio is expected to receive broad bipartisan support.
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to hold a confirmation hearing for Pam Bondi as attorney general on January 14. In December, before the New Orleans truck attack, Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said Kash Patel’s FBI director confirmation hearing would be held in late January Following committee hearings for the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General. But he noted, “It doesn’t have to be in that order. It’s the tradition.”
President-elect Trump appointees Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe are likely to hold confirmation hearings on the Senate Intelligence Committee the week of January 13 meeting. A spokesman for Senate Intelligence Democrats said negotiations are ongoing and Republicans need unanimous agreement from Democrats.
Doug Burgum, who has been selected as Interior Secretary, is likely to have a confirmation hearing on January 14.
Trump’s nominees for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin are tentatively scheduled to hold hearings on January 15.
Senate Republicans hope to complete most national security-related confirmation hearings by the time Trump takes office on January 20 so that the nominations can be voted on by the full Senate as soon as possible. But it’s unclear how far Democrats will go to slow down the process for more contentious nominees in committees and in the courts.
