Pete Hegseth is the latest Trump appointed official to draw a media hailstorm. After former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) withdrew his name from nomination, political pundits speculated if Hegseth would be doing the same. Hegseth's road to confirmation appears to have gotten clearer as Republicans support him for Secretary of the Department of Defense, and he’s also gained support from across the aisle.
President-elect Donald Trump (R) shocked the world when he nominated Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. However, for the lawmakers who staunchly support Hegseth, it’s no surprise at all.
Among those supporters is Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R), who announced this week that he had and over 30 veterans had signed a letter in support of Hegseth.
During an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Rep. Crenshaw offered an explanation as to why he supports Hegseth in the role.
I signed a letter with 31 of my fellow veterans in Congress supporting Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. Here’s why: Pete shares my priorities for making the military the lethal, focused institution it needs to be. He’s the right leader to cut through distractions and deliver… pic.twitter.com/qeQd9VyooI
— Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) December 13, 2024
“I know that some of his priorities are my priorities as well,” he shared, adding that their priorities include turning the military into “a lethal institution.” “Don’t focus on anything else,” Rep. Crenshaw said, adding that Hegseth will “get rid of woke & DEI nonsense that we’ve seen plague certain areas of our military.”
Should Hegseth become Secretary of Defense, Rep. Crenshaw says it will be “a little bit of a culture shift.”
Republicans aren’t the only ones who are sharing their support for Hegseth. Democrats have also chimed in with their support. Earlier this month, Lindy Li, a Democratic National Committee official, told NewsNation that she supported Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.
“I’ve met Pete, he’s my fellow Princetonian. I actually think he’s a pretty good guy,” Li said during an appearance on Morning in America.
“I’m not here to gaslight anybody. I’m just here to present the facts as I know it. I know a lot of people are saying his nomination is in trouble, we’ll see,” Li added.
