Trump's Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth fights for political future

Former Fox News presenter facing scrutiny over treatment of women and alcohol consumption

US Defence Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, pictured in Washington last month, is under fire over reported past behaviour. Reuters

President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, is fighting for his political future after a series of allegations against him have raised concerns about his suitability to run the world's largest defence department.

Until he was nominated last month, Mr Hegseth had been working as a Fox News presenter who was a fierce on-air defender of Mr Trump. He is a former Army National Guard major and combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan but has no experience leading a major bureaucracy or government department.

His relatively thin CV for running the vast US military with an annual budget approaching $1 trillion had already raised eyebrows in Washington. But past behaviour, particularly his treatment of women, is drawing new scrutiny and several US outlets including The Wall Street Journal have reported that the Trump transition team is considering Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to run the Pentagon instead.

The team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mr Hegseth’s mother Penelope wrote in an email to her son in 2018 that was obtained by The New York Times that he had routinely mistreated women for years.

Mr Hegseth, 44, has also settled a sexual assault claim from 2017. No charges were filed in that or any allegation and he has denied any wrongdoing.

"I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego," Ms Hegseth wrote to her son, according to the newspaper. "You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth.

The mother appeared on Fox News on Wednesday morning to say she had written that email "in haste", with "deep emotions", and had retracted it within hours of hitting send.

"He loves his country," Ms Hegseth told Fox. "Loves his country. He's fought and almost died for his country. He's a good dad. He's an amazing son and father, and that's the Pete I want people to know."

Mr Hegseth on Wednesday wrote on X that he is the victim of a smear campaign and said he would "never back down".

"The press is peddling anonymous story after anonymous story, all meant to smear me and tear me down. It’s a textbook manufactured media takedown," he later wrote in an op-ed at the Wall Street Journal. "They provide no evidence, no names, and they ignore the legions of people who speak on my behalf."

Mr Hegseth, who won two Bronze Stars for his deployments overseas, has railed against what conservatives dismiss as a “woke” Pentagon that they say is more concerned about attracting diverse recruits than it is on fighting wars. He has spoken out against women fighting in frontline combat roles, which could be an issue were he to run the US military, which has about 2 million active and reserve troops – more than 17 per cent of whom are female.

Another accusation came from 10 former and current Fox employees, who told NBC News they were concerned about the amount of alcohol Mr Hegseth drank.

Replacing Mr Hegseth would be awkward for Mr Trump as he tries to project an image of total control of the Republican Party. Already two of his selected nominees have withdrawn from consideration after facing backlash from within the party. Former US congressman Matt Gaetz, who Mr Trump had nominated as attorney general, pulled out amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied.

Chad Chronister, who was picked to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, on Tuesday said he would not be doing so after some conservatives criticised his actions as a Florida sheriff enforcing lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.