Vice President-elect J.D, Vance doubled down on his and President-elect Donald Trump’s unwavering support for Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth on Friday, condemning what he called a nonstop smear campaign against him.
“Pete Hegseth is going to get his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, not a sham hearing before the American media,” Vance said during a visit to hurricane-damaged areas in North Carolina.
“We believe Pete Hegseth is the right guy to lead the Department of Defense, that’s why President Trump nominated him. We’re not abandoning this nomination. We’re not going to make it easy for people to allow the media to determine who our secretary of defense is.”
He noted that Trump was elected in a landslide win was the one who “determines” his nominees, not the media.
“I fully support Pete. I think Pete is going to get confirmed and we are completely behind him,” Vance continued.
.@JDVance: “Pete Hegseth is going to get his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, not a sham hearing before the American media. We believe Pete Hegseth is the right guy to lead the Department of Defense.” pic.twitter.com/plAoFGyDzu
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) December 6, 2024
The Vice President-elect revealed he had a discussion with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who is rumored to be skeptical of Hegseth, along with other senators who have voiced their reservations.
He urged those involved to adhere to the proper process, saying, “All I’m asking is that people actually allow the Senate process to work. We do not determine important government officials based on anonymous sourcing from the American media.”
“We determine who our officials are through the nomination process, the advise and consent process of the United States Senate and that’s how it should happen and that’s how the president’s nominees are going to work through this process,” Vance concluded.
Meanwhile, Ernst remarked that Hegseth “deserves” an opportunity to present his “vision” for the nation’s military personnel.
Posting on X, Ernst shared that the two had engaged in “constructive conversations” and planned to meet again soon.
Previously, she had refrained from backing Hegseth, admitting she has since had a “very frank and productive discussion” with him.
“Pete Hegseth and I will continue our constructive conversations as we move forward together in this process,” Ernst tweeted. “We plan to meet again next week.”
“At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” the Iowa lawmaker concluded.
Responding to Ernst’s post, Hegseth himself noted progress in their dialogue, saying he appreciated her focus on defense policy.
“I just had another substantive conversation with Senator Ernst, I appreciate her sincere commitment to defense policy, and I look forward to meeting with her again next week,” Hegseth shared online.
Amid speculation that Trump might replace Hegseth with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the president-elect dismissed the rumor, sticking firmly by his initial pick.
“It looks like Pete is doing well now,” Trump told NBC News. “I mean, people were a bit concerned. He’s a young guy, with a tremendous track record actually.”
Trump went on to highlight Hegseth’s qualifications, saying, “He went to Princeton and went to Harvard. He was a good student at both. But he loves the military and I think people are starting to see it so we’ll be working on his nomination along with a lot of others.”
During the interview, Trump noted that the former Fox News star was a “smart guy” that he’s known for “a long time.”
“And he’s basically a military guy,” Trump continued. “Every time I talk to him, all he wants to talk about is the military. He’s a military guy.”
Trump also mentioned receiving praise about Hegseth from senators. “A lot of senators call me up saying he’s fantastic,” he stated.
When asked about concerns over Hegseth’s alleged issues with alcohol—something the nominee has pledged to quit if confirmed—Trump dismissed their validity.
“I’ve spoken to people that know him very well and they say he does not have a drinking problem,” Trump responded succinctly.
Watch Trump’s full interview here:
