WASHINGTON (AP) — A defiant Pete Hegseth fought to avoid wasting his nomination to be Donald Trump’s protection secretary Wednesday because the president-elect thought of doable replacements within the face of rising questions in regards to the former Fox Information host’s private conduct and talent to win Senate affirmation.

Hegseth met with legislators on Capitol Hill, performed a radio interview and launched an opinion article denying allegations of sexual assault and extreme consuming. He insisted he was “not backing down one bit,” stated Trump was nonetheless supporting him and deliberate to return Thursday for extra conferences with lawmakers. However the president-elect’s workforce was options, together with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Trump himself remained quiet about Hegseth whereas issuing a flurry of statements on social media Wednesday about different nominees and his information protection.

Hegseth, in an change with reporters, stated he’d meet with Trump “anytime he’d like.”

Trump’s workforce was happy with how issues went Wednesday as Hegseth met with lawmakers, in keeping with an individual conversant in their considering, and they’re persevering with to face behind him for now — all whereas Trump considers back-up choices.

North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, who had beforehand expressed issues about reviews of Hegseth’s consuming, spoke positively about Hegseth’s prospects after the 2 met Wednesday night.

“I see no motive at this level to not be supportive,” Cramer stated.

He stated he advised Hegseth “it’s actually essential that we’ve got a transparent eyed secretary of protection if the alarm goes off or the telephone rings at three within the morning.” Hegseth responded, in keeping with Cramer, that he could be accessible “at three within the morning, three within the afternoon or any hour in between.”

Hegseth is the most recent nominee-designate to be imperiled by private baggage after the latest withdrawal of Trump’s preliminary decide for lawyer basic, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose vulnerabilities had been well-documented. However Hegseth’s previous, together with the revelation that he made a settlement fee after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies, was not broadly identified.

The Trump transition workforce went into the day involved about Hegseth’s path to Senate affirmation and actively potential replacements, an individual conversant in the matter stated. Three different folks stated DeSantis, who competed in opposition to Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, was being mentioned as an possibility if Hegseth’s nomination doesn’t transfer ahead. The folks spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to publicly focus on inside deliberations.

Past DeSantis, there have additionally been discussions about shifting Michael Waltz, who was chosen by Trump for nationwide safety adviser, to the Protection Division, in keeping with one other particular person conversant in the matter who spoke on situation of anonymity. The Florida congressman is a retired Military Nationwide Guard officer and warfare veteran.

As he made the rounds on Capitol Hill, Hegseth advised reporters he had acquired a contemporary message of assist from Trump.

“I spoke to the president this morning. He helps me absolutely. We’re not going anyplace,” Hegseth stated.

In an op-ed in The Wall Road Journal, Hegseth laid out a vigorous protection of his report, together with his time spent at two veterans advocacy teams, Involved Veterans for America and Veterans For Freedom.

In new allegations this week, The New Yorker cited what it described as a whistleblower report and different paperwork about his time main CVA that alleged a number of incidents of alcohol intoxication at work occasions, inappropriate conduct round feminine staffers and monetary mismanagement.

Hegseth, within the op-ed, acknowledged spending an excessive amount of cash throughout the 2008 marketing campaign in assist of then-candidate John McCain, in order that Veterans For Freedom went into debt. However he stated he stayed on till all payments had been paid. And he stated his break up from CVA was over a “distinction of opinion” in regards to the group’s future.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a army veteran and sexual assault survivor, stopped in need of an endorsement after her assembly with Hegseth. She stated she appreciates his army service and so they “had a frank and thorough dialog.”

The Trump transition workforce didn’t reply to requests for touch upon Hegseth’s standing.

In an interview taped Wednesday for Megyn Kelly’s SiriusXM satellite tv for pc radio present, Hegseth stated Trump advised him he needed a “warfighter” who would clear out the “woke crap.”

Citing his Capitol Hill assembly, Hegseth stated, “Nobody has regarded me within the eye and stated, ‘I’ve issues.’” He added, “We’re not backing down one bit.”

Hegseth paid a lady who accused him of sexual assault at a California lodge in 2017 after Hegseth had given a speech at a Republican occasion. His lawyer stated the fee was to move off the specter of a baseless lawsuit.

Requested by Kelly if he sexually assaulted the girl, Hegseth stated “completely not.” He known as it a “actually unlucky scenario” and stated he paid her as a result of he “needed to,” contending that her attorneys stated they’d “out him.”

He declined to disclose the quantity paid, however stated it was accomplished to guard his spouse, himself and his job.

He stated it’s a “truthful characterization” to name him a serial cheater, who cheated on all three of his wives. “Was I an ideal man, completely not,” he stated.

Hegseth flatly denied having a consuming drawback and stated he wouldn’t drink whereas protection secretary, vowing, “I’m not going to have a drink in any respect.” He likened it to following the Pentagon’s basic order No. 1, which prohibits troops from consuming whereas deployed.

GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who joined Hegseth in a gathering with Home Republicans, defended the nominee and stated: “All of us, at the very least all of us, have a time to develop up. We’re nominating Pete for who he’s at present, not for what he did seven years in the past or 5 years in the past or no matter it was.”

Cramer stated Hegseth throughout their assembly acknowledged there have been occasions that he drank an excessive amount of, however that nothing improper occurred.

He stated Hegseth additionally denied elements of the New Yorker report, together with that he was drunk at a strip membership with coworkers and tried to rise up on the stage and dance.

Cramer stated Hegseth advised him “I’ve by no means been at a strip membership in Louisiana intoxicated” and that he has “definitely by no means been on a stage, , in an intoxicated state.”

“I’ve no motive to doubt him any greater than imagine anyone else,” Cramer stated.

Earlier, Hegseth’s mom appeared on Fox Information to handle a few of the allegations.

Penelope Hegseth, on “Fox & Buddies,” mentioned her son and a 2018 electronic mail she wrote him that was obtained by The New York Occasions, by which she confronted him about mistreating girls after he impregnated his present spouse whereas he was married to his second spouse.

That letter adopted a number of allegations, reported by The New Yorker this week, of questionable conduct round feminine staffers, along with the 2017 allegation.

On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., stated a few of the reviews had been “disturbing,” telling CBS Information that he needs to “ensure that each younger lady that joins the army feels revered and welcomed.”

Penelope Hegseth implored the lawmakers to take heed to her son and provides him an opportunity.

“I believe it may be overcome,” Penelope Hegseth stated.

Hegseth is a former Fox Information host and a former Military Nationwide Guard main and fight veteran who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. If confirmed by the Senate, he would lead a 2-million-member sturdy army — greater than 17% of whom are feminine. The revelations have involved some members of Congress.

Hegseth stated in his interview that he doesn’t know the way all it will end up however is snug that he “took on the haters and the liars” and fought for it, including, “the longer term’s in God’s fingers.”

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Related Press writers Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Value in New York, Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Mary Clare Jalonick, Lisa Mascaro and Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report. Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.