gotchanewsdaily.com 
CNN
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President-elect Donald Trump voiced support for his embattled choice for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, in a Truth Social post on Friday.
“Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe. He was a great student – Princeton/Harvard educated – with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted.
While the president-elect had been supporting Hegseth behind the scenes, this is the first time in recent days he has publicly rallied around him.
“Thank you Mr. President. Like you, we will never back down,” Hegseth, a military veteran and former television anchor, posted on Friday in response to Trump’s support.
Vice President-elect JD Vance, a current Ohio senator who has been talking to his colleagues in support of Hegseth, also emphasized his backing for the defense secretary pick, saying in a X post on Friday that he’s “fighting” for Hegseth because he will “fight for our troops.”
“For too long, the Pentagon has been led by people who lose wars. Pete Hegseth is a man who fought in those wars. We’ve got his back,” Vance posted.
The public support is the latest sign of Trump’s allies’ attempts to save Hegseth as he faces a series of allegations related to drinking and sexual misconduct. Hegseth concluded his first week of meetings on Capitol Hill on Thursday as he seeks to shore up support with key senators who will vote on his confirmation.
Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing and forcefully pushed back on what he has described as unfounded attacks against him.
Amid calls for more vetting of Trump’s pick to run the Pentagon, Hegseth’s name was submitted to the FBI for a background check. The president-elect’s transition team earlier this week paved the way for it to seek the background checks, announcing that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Justice Department.
“He received the forms yesterday from the FBI, and we’re working on them right now,” Hegseth attorney Timothy Parlatore told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source,” when asked on Thursday whether Trump has submitted his name to the FBI.
Trump told Hegseth he wants to see him fight for votes in the Senate, sources close to both men told CNN. His continued backing is part of the reason Hegseth has appeared more bullish this week while he’s held critical meetings with Republican senators.
Some of Trump’s allies have ramped up public pressure on senators who have so far declined to commit to Hegseth. Some close to Hegseth believe that if he can survive over the next week, he will be Trump’s nominee, though he still will have to get through his confirmation hearing early next year.
At the same time, many of Trump’s advisers and close allies were annoyed over reports this week that the president-elect was mulling possible replacements, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, whose vote could be among the most crucial to Hegseth’s chances.
Hegseth faces a tough confirmation process as allegations continue to mount related to his workplace behavior and treatment of women, including a surfaced sexual assault allegation from 2017, which Hegseth has denied.
A report described in The New Yorker alleged Hegseth was repeatedly intoxicated at work events and gatherings with staff. It also alleges that he sexually pursued female staffers, and that the organization ignored another staffer’s alleged sexual misconduct, according to the magazine. Hegseth has denied the allegations, with his lawyer calling them “outlandish claims” from a “disgruntled former associate.”
CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Kristen Holmes, Jeremy Herb, Alayna Treene and Eric Bradner contributed to this report.
