Donald Trump F**k Up Watch
Pete Hegseth's bid to be Secretary of Defense is on life support.
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So, um …
The nomination of decorated Army veteran and former Fox & Friends weekend co-host Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense is in trouble, a senior Trump transition source told CNN Tuesday evening.
“He has not been forthright with the Transition team staff and the President-elect and Vice President-elect,” the senior Trump transition source said of the reporting about allegations about Hegseth’s behavior involving women and alcohol. “He has hurt a lot of people as a result. He didn’t disclose anything. Tomorrow is going to be absolutely critical.”
There’s a pretty simple rule in confirmation politics: if the people around the guy who nominated you are trashing you to reporters … your nomination is in serious trouble.
This isn’t good either.
President-elect Donald Trump is considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, his pick to run the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the discussions, amid Republican senators’ concerns over mounting allegations about the former Fox News host’s personal life.
Even worse for a nomination bid is when the people around the guy who nominated you are floating replacement picks. I honestly can’t imagine why DeSantis would want this job (a position he’s unqualified for, considering his lack of experience in military affairs). Maybe he’ll conclude that this will help his chances of getting the 2028 GOP nomination, but I think he’d be better off staying outside of DC.
I’m legit surprised that Hegseth didn’t drop out today, but at this point, it’s probably only a matter of time, particularly when you have Senate Republicans badmouthing him. This clip from Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis is a good indication of the lack of enthusiasm on Capitol Hill for Hegseth’s nomination.
Also, this is never a good sign for a Senate confirmation.
In case you missed it, the New York Times published a letter over the weekend from his mom, Penelope, trashing Hegseth as an abuser of women.
“I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego. 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.”
Oof.
While the Trump folks want to badmouth Hegseth for his predicament, they were the ones who nominated him without performing the proper vetting. They’ll blame Hegseth, but make no mistake, this is on them — and the fallout will serve as yet another reminder that Trump and his team are simply incompetent.
Also, 22 days after naming a White House counsel, Trump has already reversed course.
Who’s Next?
My money is still on Tulsi Gabbard losing her nomination bid. She’s a former Democrat, has no constituency within the Senate GOP, and is completely unqualified for the position. RFK Jr. is in the same boat, but I suspect he will make it — though that confirmation hearing will be a train wreck.
The wild card is Kash Patel for the FBI. It’s tough to say which way this one will go. Patel is a scary choice (as a general rule, nominating a guy with an enemies list to be head of a law enforcement agency seems like a terrible idea), but who knows what Senate Republicans will do. With Gaetz down and Hegseth on life support, I wouldn’t assume it makes it harder for Senate Republicans to stymie Trump’s nominations. If they kill Gaetz and Hegseth with no major recrimination, maybe they’ll feel emboldened to send the others packing. But honestly, I have no idea. Outside of Gabbard, the smart money is probably on all of them getting through, but it’s one bet I’m not taking.
What’s Going On
The last outstanding House race was finally called in California — it was a seat flip for Democrats. That means Democrats flipped one seat this election, and the House is at 220 Republicans to 215 Democrats. In a year with a nearly 6-point GOP shift in the presidential race, a D +1 outcome in the House is a pretty impressive result for Democrats.
In state legislature races, Republicans gained 58 seats out of roughly 6,000 races. It is not a bad outcome for the GOP, but it is not remotely close to what you’d expect with such a large shift in the presidential numbers.
A good piece in the New York Times on why Joe Biden reversed course on pardoning his son Hunter — though let’s be honest, the real reason is that Kamala Harris lost the election.
Musical Interlude