Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told Newsmax on Wednesday that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Pentagon, deserves "a chance to explain some of these new allegations" against him.
Hegseth was set to meet with Republicans on Wednesday after a report from NBC News released the day before claiming that his colleagues at Fox News expressed concerns about his drinking habits. In an interview on Wednesday morning, Hegseth said that he "never had a drinking problem" and claimed that the employees who spoke to the news network were "disgruntled."
Lummis said in an exclusive interview with Newsmax congressional correspondent Kilmeny Duchardt that she and Hegseth "didn't discuss the new allegations" when they met last week.
"Now that there have been new allegations, it's important that we discuss those, and so I look forward to a conversation with him next week about that," Lummis said.
Asked about rumors that Trump is considering replacing Hegesth as the nominee with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Lummis said, "Certainly that's President Trump's decision to make."
Lummis noted that she and DeSantis served in the House of Representatives together and "were both founding members of the Freedom Caucus, so I know him well. And I've stayed in touch with him over the years."
Lummis said that if the Trump transition team were to "go that route," then DeSantis is "someone who would be too easy to confirm to that position."
"But I don't want to jump the gun on the press because I want him [Trump] to have who he wants in these jobs, and if the opportunity to meet with Pete Hegseth allows him a chance to explain some of these new allegations, I think that it's important that I take that time," Lummis said.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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