Sen. Cramer to Newsmax: Hegseth Is 'Kind of Leader We Need'

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., told Newsmax on Friday that President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is "the kind of leader we need" amid concerns about his chances of being confirmed by the Senate.

Hegseth has spent much of this week meeting with GOP senators in an attempt to shore up support for his bid to lead the Pentagon while denying allegations of sexual assault and drinking on the job made against him.

Cramer told "Wake Up America" that he had "a great meeting" with Hegseth on Friday morning, adding, "It was productive. It was frank. It was maybe even a little uncomfortable at moments. But we're all adults and I was very pleased."

Cramer noted that he asked Hegseth "a lot of tough questions. He had all the right answers, and more importantly, I believed him … I believed Pete, looking him eyeball to eyeball, talking to his wife a little bit."

The senator went on to claim that the allegations made against Hegseth are "a smear campaign with a lot of exaggeration."

He said that he and Hegseth "may have some disagreements on a policy issue or two, but by and large, I like him a lot. I like what he brings to the fight, and it is a fight. I'm glad that he's hanging in there and that the president wants him to hang in there because I think some things are worth fighting for, and this is."

Cramer continued, "Obviously, Department of Defense and secretary of defense is a very, very important position in any administration. But particularly at a time when the world is on fire, American leadership is in high demand, and I think Pete's the kind of leader we need."

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