Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said Thursday that it should not be “controversial” to hold a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of defense nominee Pete Hegseth.
Fetterman will become the first Democratic senator to meet with Hegseth on Thursday ahead of the confirmation process, telling CNN’s Manu Raju that he plans to speak with the defense secretary nominee on a range of issues relating to the military. The senator highlighted the importance of meeting and trying to find common ground with Trump’s nominees as they will hold important roles in the upcoming administration.
“I think it’s an opportunity to have a conversation and I’m not sure why it would be controversial to anybody,” Fetterman said. “If he’s the individual who could potentially be the next secretary of defense … I’m not just the senator for Pennsylvania, for my voters or Democrats, it’s for all of us. And now we have received a lot of support calls into our office saying ‘hey, we want to have a conversation.’ So I’m just doing my job.”
Hegseth’s nomination has been met with controversy over allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct and excessive drinking, all of which he has denied. A woman accused Hegseth of sexually assaulting her in October 2017 in Monterey, California, though the Monterey County district attorney said no charges were ever filed over the alleged incident.
The Pennsylvania senator further said in response to Raju’s questions about the allegations that Hegseth will go through an FBI vetting process and be questioned at the Senate confirmation hearings, indicating that he is simply meeting with the nominee to have a conversation. Some senators, including Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, have threatened Hegseth’s confirmation chances due to the slew of allegations against him.
The senator added that while Hegseth would not have been his choice, it is his responsibility to converse with the nominee and establish a relationship with him. He did not commit to supporting or opposing Hegseth’s nomination.
“All I am saying is that Democrats or other people can freak out over anyone that is nominated. And I am not that guy,” the senator said. “And I am open to having a conversation … especially with really important [nominees] … If these people are gonna hold these kinds of offices and we are in the business of working and getting along with people who disagree with some of the things we have, and we try to find the things that we can possibly agree on for the best possible outcomes, and I represent Pennsylvania. And to point out, Donald Trump carried Pennsylvania and he’s gonna be the next president, so it’s all part of the conversation. And that’s why I’ve decided to engage with people who are going to be incredibly important parts of the administration.”
Fetterman met with Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to the United Nations, Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, and confirmed that he intends to vote in support of her. He also expressed support for Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was nominated by Trump to be the next Secretary of State.
Despite broad opposition to the nomination, over forty veterans and service members who directly served with Hegseth signed a letter pledging to support Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, the Daily Caller first reported.
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