It is no secret that Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense is in trouble.
Washington insiders and the establishment media have been working hand-in-glove to defeat Hegseth and other “disrupter” nominees put forward by the incoming President.
The personal trashing of Hegseth over what might be politely called his flamboyant lifestyle has overshadowed his potential as exactly the kind of outside the Beltway, outside the military-industrial complex Secretary of Defense required to cleanse our military of Marxist DEI nonsense return it to its former status as the world’s most lethal fighting force.
However, according to reporting by ABC News, a growing number of Republican senators have privately signaled that they are not inclined to vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as President-elect Donald Trump's next defense secretary, leading Trump's advisers to begin discussing who may be a viable replacement, said sources familiar with the matter.
Sources tell ABC News that at least six senators have privately indicated that they don't intend to vote for Hegseth, meaning he is well short of the 50+1 needed for confirmation. So, what happens if Pete’s nomination goes down thanks to the same establishment Republicans who torpedoed Matt Gaetz?
Just how deeply in trouble the Hegseth nomination might be is measured by what names are being bandied about to replace him.
Senator Joni Ernst is seen as a non-starter by conservatives who note she voted for many of the policies and the Flag Officers that Trump opposes. And many figures from the first Trump administration’s Department of Defense lost Mr. Trump’s confidence due to their relationship with the treasonous General Mark Milley.
However, one alternative to Pete Hegseth who checks all the boxes for national security conservatives and will not be vulnerable to the criticism of his personal life leveled at Pete is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The Wall Street Journal reported President-elect Donald Trump is considering DeSantis as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, his pick to run the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the discussions, amid Republican senators’ concerns over mounting allegations about the former Fox News host’s personal life.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported DeSantis is interested in the Secretary of Defense appointment, and the Governor is said to have met with Trump Tuesday in Palm Beach.
Citing unnamed sources, the Wall Street Journal reported that DeSantis is the leading contender for the post. None of the news organizations breaking the DeSantis story indicated whether DeSantis would take the job.
A source in the DeSantis camp close to the discussions told the Sentinel that DeSantis is leaning toward accepting an offer if it is made, but he had to discuss it first with his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis.
DeSantis had previously professed a lack of interest in a Trump administration position, saying the best place for him is in Florida, where he still has two years left in his final term as governor. Term limits prevent him from seeking a third term.
Floating DeSantis’s name was enough to send Democrats into a tizzy, with Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried issuing an over-the-top warning that “Americans will be in grave danger if Ron DeSantis is nominated as our next Secretary of Defense.”
There have been warning signs that DeSantis would be willing to abuse his military authority, Fried said. He sent Florida National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border, chartered jets to fly refugees from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, and reinstated the Florida State Guard — a military force that answers directly to the governor.
Fried's bombastic warnings about DeSantis using the military to round up illegal aliens and defending America from “the enemy within” mostly sound like music to the ears of the MAGA faithful.
What’s more, the Sun-Sentinel reported that, beyond DeSantis, there have been discussions among Trump’s circle about shifting another Floridian, Rep. Michael Waltz, who was named by Trump as his national security adviser, to the Defense Department, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity about private conversations. The Florida congressman is a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran.
If Hegseth’s nomination goes down – as it looks like it might thanks to the usual squishy Senate Republicans – Trump has two strong replacements standing in the wings. Much as we Floridians hate the idea of an early termination of the DeSantis administration, we think former Navy JAG officer Ron DeSantis would make a great Secretary of Defense.
2024 Election
Trump cabinet
Kash Patel
deep state
FBI Director
Christopher Wray
Pete Hegseth
Ron DeSantis
Matt Gaetz
Defense Secretary
Republican senators
Senator Joni Ernst
Casey DeSantis
National guard to border
Illegal immigration
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