In a move that could shake up the dynamics of his 2024 campaign, former President Donald Trump is reportedly considering Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a potential replacement for Pete Hegseth as his preferred candidate for Secretary of Defense.
While Hegseth, a Fox News contributor, and staunch Trump ally, has long been rumored to lead the Pentagon under a second Trump administration, sources noted that at least six senators have privately indicated that they don’t intend to support Hegseth amid the growing allegations, including about mistreatment of women.s
Trump insiders speculate that appointing DeSantis could serve as a gesture of party unity, potentially healing rifts within the Republican Party.
This is though Ron DeSantis has had some strong criticisms of Trump in the past:
At one rally DeSantis quipped, “We don’t need any more presidents that have lost the zip on their fastball.” He said the party’s nomination shouldn’t be a coronation, especially for “anybody that couldn’t even stop Joe Biden.”
Or this:
“I was in Congress the first two years when Trump was president,” Mr. DeSantis said. “I mean, we didn’t really do what we said we would do. You didn’t see any major immigration, border or any type of legislation. You didn’t see anything with repealing and replacing Obamacare. You didn’t see anything about reining in the bureaucracy. I mean, it was pretty, pretty mundane stuff.”
Pete Hegseth, meanwhile, remains a close Trump confidant and has not publicly addressed the reports.
Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth says he won’t ‘back down’ as scrutiny grows over misconduct allegations, and several FOX co-workers expressed concern over his drinking.
Two of those people said that on more than a dozen occasions during Hegseth’s time as a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” which began in 2017, they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air.
Those same two people, plus another, said that during his time there he appeared on television after they’d heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set.