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Donald Trump has discussed replacing Pete Hegsett, his controversial nominee to head the Pentagon, with candidates including Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, according to two people close to the talks.
Debate over Hegsett’s fate has intensified as support for the Fox News anchor’s confirmation among Senate Republicans has eroded in recent days amid increasingly damning allegations of sexual misconduct.
If Trump pressed Desantis as Secretary of Defense, it would be a remarkable turnaround for the two men after they met during the 2024 GOP presidential primary.
While DeSantis has occasionally criticized Trump’s policies, he shied away from any personal attacks on the former president and defended him when he faced a series of criminal charges throughout the campaign.
But if DeSantis were to move to the Pentagon, he would lose his Florida governorship, giving him some political independence from Trump that could help him if he decides to run for president again in 2028.
A spokesman for DeSantis did not respond to a request for comment. Trump’s transition team declined to comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump was considering DeSantis for the Pentagon post.
Trump aides have defended Hegseth’s ability to run the Pentagon, even as his chances of Senate confirmation have dimmed. Hagseth defiantly told reporters on Wednesday that Trump had told him to “keep going, keep fighting.”
He also posted on X: “I do this for the warriors, not the warmongers. Leftists fear disruptors and agents of change. They fear Donald Trump — and me. So they smear fake, anonymous sources and BS stories. They don’t want the truth. Our warriors will never back down, and neither will I.’
But Hegseth is losing critical support on Capitol Hill amid allegations of sexual and financial misconduct at two veterans’ groups he chaired.
“I think some of these articles are very disturbing. Obviously he has a chance to defend himself here, but some of these things are going to be difficult,” Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, told CBS Tuesday.
If Hegseth had withdrawn from the controversy, he would have become the second Trump cabinet nominee to be kicked out due to controversy. Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, TrumpElected attorney general, recalled after allegations of sexual harassment and drug use. He was quickly replaced by longtime ally and two-term Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Besides DeSantis, another possible contender for defense secretary is Sen. Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, a person close to the discussions said, adding that both she and the Florida governor would have a better chance of being confirmed than Hegseth.
