The week started out with news that a group previously backed by tech billionaire Elon Musk will run an advertisement pressuring senators to support President-elect Trump’s pick for Pentagon chief.
The ad, from conservative group Building America’s Future, is set to air on national television and will have a particular focus on Iowa via digital platforms.
Trump and his allies are trying desperately to revive Hegseth’s nomination, which is in serious trouble in the wake of recent revelations of alleged alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct in his past.
Among the senators coming under intense pressure to support Hegseth include Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who on Monday said she had an “encouraging” meeting with the former Fox News personality.
Ernst said after the pair’s second meeting that she appreciated Hegseth’s “responsiveness and respect for the process.”
Ernst has emerged as a key hurdle for Hegseth to clear if he has any chance of winning Senate approval. A retired lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard, she could scuttle his hopes of getting through the Armed Services panel if she opposes him.
She also has been an outspoken advocate for service members who have been sexually assaulted, sharing publicly about surviving assault herself.
And Sen. Lindsey Graham on Monday also released a statement saying that he had “a very positive, thorough and candid meeting” with Hegseth, and that he “appreciated how forthright and forthcoming he was.”
The statement is a turn from last week, when Graham said some of the allegations against Hegseth were “very disturbing,” and that “some of this stuff is going to be difficult” to get him confirmed.
There’s a lot of time left on the clock, however, and many more potential disclosures before Hegseth actually gets a Senate confirmation hearing in late January or early February.
The big question is what else, if anything, is going to come out in the next several weeks.
Graham and Ernst caveated their statements of support by saying they will not rely on anonymously sourced reports. An FBI background check on cabinet nominees, which will likely remain classified, is another huge factor.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
