Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) says Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s pick to head the Department of Defense, faces a nasty Senate confirmation hearing that would likely be uglier than the battle over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018.
Cornyn says he plans to vote for Hegseth but warned the embattled nominee will undergo a grueling Senate confirmation process, given the likelihood that Democrats will scrutinize allegations that Hegseth sexually assaulted a woman in 2017 and accusations that he mismanaged two conservative veterans’ groups.
“I just told him and his wife, I said, ‘This is going to be a very difficult process on all of you,’” Cornyn said.
Cornyn said he’s “been through a lot of Supreme Court nomination fights, including Brett Kavanaugh, and that may pale in comparison to what may be thrown at Pete.”
The bitter fight over Kavanaugh’s nomination rocked the Senate in 2018 after the conservative judge was accused by Christine Blasey Ford of sexually assaulting her at a high school party decades earlier.
Kavanaugh vigorously denied the allegation.
The Texas senator noted that Hegseth is ready leave his lucrative job as a host at Fox News to slog through what could be a brutal confirmation process. He expressed respect for the nominee’s desire to enter public service.
“I’m convinced he’s doing this for the right reasons. He’s giving up a lot of money at Fox to do it, so I appreciate his commitment to public service,” he said.
Cornyn repeated his warning during an interview with Newsmax’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight” in which he warned that Hegseth faces “a very unpleasant process for him and his family.”
“It’s important for all of these nominees to come around and answer questions. I told Pete this is going to be a very unpleasant process for him and his family, having been involved in the Kavanaugh hearings,” he said.
“I know there will be unnamed accusations and some things that are going to be hurtful, not only to him and his family — but he’s ready for that, his wife is ready for that, and I’m confident he will be confirmed,” Cornyn said.
Cornyn, who has known Hegseth for about 12, years, said he plans to vote “yes” and predicted “ultimately he will be confirmed.”
After a face-to-face meeting with the nominee, Cornyn said he was “satisfied” with Hegseth’s answers but again warned the confirmation process will be “a hard process” on the nominee “and his family.”
“I was satisfied with his answers, and I think this is going to be a hard process on him and his family, and some of it will be enormously unfair, but I respect his willingness to give up a nice, cushy job at Fox in order to serve the nation and the military that he has devoted a large percentage of his life to,” Cornyn told reporters after the meeting.
In addition to the sexual assault allegation from 2017, a whistleblower report from his time as president of Concerned Veterans for America accused him of being repeatedly drunk at work events, sexually pursuing female staffers and failing to address a sexual assault charge against another male staff member.
Hegseth, however, received a boost last week from President-elect Trump, who said he would stick with his controversial nominee.
“Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe. He was a great student – Princeton/Harvard educated – with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
