Senate Majority Leader Confident in Defense Secretary Nominee’s Confirmation

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has privately assured President-elect Donald Trump that his nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, will likely secure the necessary votes for confirmation, according to three sources familiar with the discussions. The confirmation hearing for Hegseth is scheduled for January 14, as announced by Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker.

Hegseth, a Fox News contributor and former CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, was nominated by Trump on November 12, just days after the election. However, his nomination has been marred by allegations of past sexual misconduct. An unidentified woman accused Hegseth of sexual assault in a Monterey, California, hotel room in 2017. Hegseth denied the allegations, stating the encounter was consensual, and no charges were filed. The case was resolved with a confidential financial settlement in 2023.

In addition to the sexual misconduct allegations, Hegseth has faced scrutiny over his management of the veterans’ organization and concerns about his alcohol consumption raised by colleagues at Fox News. Hegseth has publicly stated that he would abstain from alcohol if confirmed as Defense Secretary.

Other key confirmation hearings are tentatively scheduled for the week of January 13, ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch has indicated that he aims to confirm Marco Rubio and Elise Stefanik by inauguration day, though this would require unanimous cooperation from all senators. Rubio is expected to receive broad bipartisan support.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is targeting January 14 for the confirmation hearing of Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee for Attorney General. Meanwhile, Kash Patel, the nominee for FBI Director, is expected to have his hearing in late January, following hearings for other Justice Department nominees.

Senate Intelligence Committee hearings for Tulsi Gabbard, nominated for Director of National Intelligence, and John Ratcliffe, the CIA Director nominee, are also tentatively set for the week of January 13. Negotiations between Democrats and Republicans are ongoing, with unanimous consent required to proceed.

Senate Republicans are pushing to complete national security-related confirmations by inauguration day, but Democrats may slow the process for more controversial nominees. The outcome of these hearings will shape the early days of the Trump administration.