The Florida Governor used to be an opponent of Trump. But now they’re coming together.
And Trump trotted out Ron DeSantis for one reason that is sending Democrats off the deep end.
President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly reconsidering his nomination of Pete Hegseth for defense secretary and is weighing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a potential replacement, insiders told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
This development follows mounting allegations of s*xual misconduct and financial mismanagement against Hegseth, a 44-year-old Army veteran and former Fox News host. Hegseth’s nomination, which requires Senate confirmation, faces increasing opposition among Republicans, with as many as six GOP senators voicing concerns, according to NBC News.
DeSantis, a former Navy Judge Advocate General Corps officer, had originally been on the shortlist of candidates for the Pentagon role presented to Trump by transition officials.
Trump ultimately chose Hegseth, but with growing scrutiny of Hegseth’s past, that list has been revisited, and DeSantis’s name has resurfaced.
Some senators have described the allegations against Hegseth as “disturbing,” and sources told the Journal that Trump, 78, is now exploring alternatives.
While DeSantis, 46, has reportedly been approached about the possibility of becoming defense secretary, sources cautioned that Trump might ultimately select someone else if Hegseth’s nomination falters.
Trump and DeSantis were seen together Tuesday at a memorial service for fallen police officers in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Like Trump and Hegseth, DeSantis has been an outspoken critic of so-called “woke” policies in the Pentagon. During his presidential primary campaign, DeSantis called for eliminating Pentagon diversity initiatives and cutting military programs focused on climate change.
“Our mantra on Jan. 20, 2025, as commander-in-chief will be very simple: mission first, accomplish the mission,” DeSantis said on the campaign trail in South Carolina last year, attributing declining military recruitment to “wokeism.” He also emphasized the need for discipline on military bases, saying, “Having things like drag shows on military bases should not be allowed.”
DeSantis has also stated he would reverse policies allowing transgender individuals to serve under their preferred gender and reinstate personnel discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines.
Meanwhile, Hegseth has been working to rally support for his nomination, meeting with GOP senators on Capitol Hill to pitch his vision for the Pentagon. However, allegations from his past continue to surface, complicating his path to confirmation.
Reports of a 2017 s*xual assault allegation against Hegseth in Monterey County, California, resurfaced days after his nomination. Hegseth was never charged, and his attorney has dismissed the allegations as “false.”
More explosive claims were detailed in a New Yorker report, which cited former employees, internal emails, and a whistleblower dossier accusing Hegseth of misconduct during his leadership of veterans’ advocacy groups Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America from 2007 to 2016.
The dossier alleged that Hegseth was asked to step down after incidents of public drunkenness, including a 2014 incident at a Louisiana strip club where he allegedly tried to join the performers on stage, requiring a female colleague to intervene.
Another incident cited in the report involved Hegseth allegedly shouting, “K*ll all Muslims! K*ll all Muslims!” during a 2015 tour in Ohio while intoxicated.
Emails obtained by the New Yorker also accused him of using organization funds for personal expenses and treating nonprofit events as opportunities for partying and inappropriate behavior.
Hegseth’s lawyer has denied the allegations, but they have cast a shadow over his nomination. Trump’s transition team and Governor DeSantis have not yet commented on the matter.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
