President-elect Donald Trump's Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is comparing vicious media reports about his alleged sexual misconduct to what Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh endured during the judge's heated 2018 confirmation process.
Hegseth, 44, first likened his nomination fight to Kavanaugh's on Wednesday morning at a meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill, Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) told the newspaper.
“I think his point was, you know, a lot of anonymous sources can say anything,” the congresswoman said after emerging from the closed session with the Republican Study Committee, the largest GOP caucus in the House. “That was one example he gave.”
“What we hear from everyone [the] “This is an honest and good man,” she stressed.
Anonymous accusers and whistleblowers at the veterinary nonprofits that Hegseth heads have come out against the defense secretary-designate in recent weeks, alleging that in the 2000s, the Army vet often drank alcohol on the job and made inappropriate sexual advances — Including the alleged assault.
Hegseth, who is in his third marriage, has vehemently denied the allegations, along with two former senior employees who worked with him at a non-profit called Concerned Veterans of America, calling the allegations “false” and completely “crazy.”
Although his appointment was confirmed, Kavanaugh himself faced accusations of sexual assault, as well as outrageous lies about his involvement in “gang rape” with fellow male partygoers.
Christine Blasey Ford claimed the future judge assaulted her at a high school party in 1982 — but several witnesses disputed her account, including her high school boyfriend Leland Keyser, who later said: “I have no confidence in the story.”
Hegseth also told podcast host Megyn Kelly in an interview on Wednesday that he borrowed the Kavanaugh comparison from another member of Congress in a previous meeting.
“Do you think you're being Kavanaugh'ed now?” Kelly asked him on her show.
“I had a member, just 45 minutes ago, look me in the eye in private, just him and me and say, 'This is what they're trying to do to you,'” Hegseth quoted the MP as saying. “This is their playbook. Get ready for more.”
He said the congressman also told him: “You're a threat to them, you're a threat to their system.”
“Kavanaugh stood up and won,” Hegseth continued. Hopefully, Republicans have learned this lesson. “And Trump stood by him.”
Trump's press secretary, Carolyn Leavitt, confirmed to The Washington Post that the former president and Hegseth spoke on the phone Wednesday morning, and that Trump said he was “with him.”
Hegseth told Kelly that his meetings with senators so far have been “fantastic” and that no Republican has told him they won't vote for him in the confirmation process.
He said Trump also told him, “Pete, I have your back,” and that he would not suspend his bid — despite reports that the incoming president was eyeing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a replacement candidate, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Post spoke with House GOP members and staffers in both chambers on the Hill, all of whom said they supported his nomination.
But only four senators would need to oppose the Pentagon nominee to thwart the confirmation process.
There was general frustration among lawmakers who support him that the accused remained anonymous.
“Introduce the people who complain about him. No more anonymity,” asserted Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.).
“he [Hegseth] “He has a great record of combat leadership in both Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). “Let's be honest: Dealing with old generals has not made the Department of Defense work any better.”
Issa also claimed that Hegseth committed to conducting a “full forensic audit” of Pentagon spending during the Reconciliation Support Committee meeting.
Earlier this month, the Department of Defense failed its seventh audit in a row.
