Pete Hegseth promised Defense secretary: “I’ll quit drinking should I be confirmed”

The former Fox News host is trying to convince the Senate, but Trump is already considering alternatives

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s choice as the next Secretary of Defense, has assured Republican senators that he will stop drinking if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The promise was reported by Senator Roger Wicker, who will lead the Republican-majority Senate Defense Committee. “He made this proposal voluntarily, I didn’t ask him for anything,” Wicker told CNN, emphasizing the importance Hegseth attaches to the appointment.

The pledge to stop drinking is intended to address concerns that have arisen about his past behavior, when Hegseth was accused of showing up to work intoxicated. Senator Kevin Cramer also expressed concerns about the issue, saying, “The drinking problem is central, I think everything else stems from that,” in an implicit reference to the 2017 sexual assault allegations leveled against Hegseth.

Despite mounting pressure, Hegseth reaffirmed his commitment: “The president-elect supports me all the way, I see no reason to retire,” he told reporters. However, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal, Trump is reportedly considering replacing him with Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, because of resistance from at least six Republican senators.

If Hegseth withdraws, he would be the third Trump appointee to drop out: previously there was Matt Gaetz, who was swept up in sex scandals, and Chad Chronister, who retired from leading the DEA.

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