A Sunday report from CBS News claimed that, according to three sources, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) privately told President-elect Donald Trump “he believes Pete Hegseth will have the votes to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense.”
When the network reached out to Thune’s office for a comment, a spokesman said, “Two things we don’t discuss publicly: Whip counts and private conversations with the president.”
Asked about this report during an appearance on CBS Sunday morning show “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Thune was noncommittal. He said, “I think these are nominees who are new enough, they’ve been going around and conducting their meetings, which I think, frankly, have gone very well, but they still have to make their case in front of the committee. And, you know, we don’t know all the information about some of these nominees.”
Trump’s announcement of Hegseth as the nominee on Nov. 12 was met with shock by Democratic lawmakers and even by some on the Right side of the aisle. Known primarily for his years as the popular weekend co-host of Fox News’ morning show, “Fox & Friends,” he was considered unqualified to lead the Pentagon.
But Hegseth actually has a very impressive resume. He served in the military for 20 years, during which he deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He also received two bronze star medals, which the military awards to soldiers who have distinguished themselves “by heroic or meritorious achievement or service … while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.”
Hegseth also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University and a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard University. During his time at Fox, he was a strong advocate for the veteran community.
Unfortunately, days after Hegseth’s nomination, reports emerged that a woman, “Jane Doe,” had accused Hegseth of sexual assault following an incident that occurred in a Monterey, California, hotel room in 2017. Although Hegseth was not charged of any crime, he paid the woman an undisclosed sum of money to remain quiet.
The legacy media, which appears to believe it is better qualified than the Senate to vet cabinet nominees, eagerly ran with the story.
Next, NBC News reported that Hegseth “drank in ways that concerned his colleagues at Fox News, according to 10 current and former Fox employees who spoke with NBC News.” The article stated:
Two of those people said that on more than a dozen occasions during Hegseth’s time as a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” which began in 2017, they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air. Those same two people, plus another, said that during his time there he appeared on television after they’d heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set.
It was a total hit piece that rivaled the Democrats’ slander campaign against then-Supreme Court Associate Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. The story was dutifully amplified by the party’s communications team, the mainstream media, and Hegseth’s nomination appeared to be on life support.
He also faced opposition from Republican Sen. Joni Ernst (IA), who initially withheld her support from Hegseth amid widespread speculation that she sought the nomination herself. However, following the threat of a primary challenge during her 2026 reelection bid, Ernst has since softened her opposition to Hegseth.
Subsequent attempts to discredit Hegseth have largely fallen flat. For instance, after he claimed he was accepted to West Point in 1999, the left-leaning website ProPublica contacted the academy’s public affairs office for confirmation. When two representatives stated otherwise, ProPublica prepared to publish a story accusing Hegseth of lying. However, Hegseth preemptively released a copy of his West Point acceptance letter, prompting ProPublica to kill the story.
But Trump, who has been the target of numerous media firestorms himself, stood firmly behind Hegseth and urged him to fight. Which he did.
If CBS News’s sources are accurate, it seems Hegseth’s determination to stay the course may have paid off. According to CBS, his confirmation hearing is set for January 14. A successful confirmation would mark a significant blow to the legacy media, which is increasingly losing credibility.
Elizabeth writes commentary for The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation and a member of the Editorial Board at The Sixteenth Council, a London think tank. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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