President-elect Donald Trump may be thinking about replacing Pete Hegseth, his current Pentagon nominee, according to a report.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Trump is considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as a potential replacement, citing people familiar with the discussions.
While the discussions are in the early stages, a source told the outlet, Trump has tossed around DeSantis’ name casually. The sources added that Trump could also not choose DeSantis, if Hegseth’s nomination falls apart.
Another name that has reportedly been considered among Trump allies is former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby, and Trump is reportedly considering Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).
This comes amid mounting allegations against Hegseth, who served in the U.S. Army, and concerns from Republican lawmakers.
As the outlet pointed out, DeSantis “shares Trump’s—and Hegseth’s—view on culling what they see as ‘woke’ policies in the military.”
DeSantis has served as a U.S. Navy lawyer in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay.
Per WSJ: “Republican senators who have begun meeting with Hegseth have warned him that he would face a grilling during public confirmation hearings, and they have openly said he would need to work to overcome sexual assault and other allegations. A person familiar with the matter said there were six senators who were potentially opposed to his nomination. So far, no Republican senators have publicly said they would oppose Hegseth’s nomination, and Trump still publicly backs him.”
