Hegseth receives 'special permission' from Trump to launch 'crisis management media tour': report

With former Fox News host Pete Hegseth — President-elect Donald Trump's embattled nominee for defense secretary — facing allegations of sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse, Trump is reportedly considering offering that position to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis instead.

But Hegseth has vowed to keep fighting for the position. And Hegseth, Mediaite's Diana Falzone reports, has been conducting a "crisis management media tour in a desperate effort to salvage his nomination."

The media tour, Falzone notes, included a "softball interview" with former Fox News host Megyn Kelly and an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.

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"In the Kelly interview," Falzone observes, "Hegseth defended himself against an allegation he raped a woman at a Republican conference in 2017, as well as reports that he has a drinking problem, mismanaged funds at two veterans groups he ran, and his long history of cheating on his wives…. The media campaign is a sign of how desperately Hegseth is fighting to remain Trump's nominee to run the Defense Department, amid reports the incoming president is considering dumping him for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis."

A Trump insider told Mediaite that Trump and his transition team gave Hegseth "special permission" to do the media tour in order to "repair his public image."

The insider said, "Pete needs better storylines…. If enough senators say no, Pete is dead."

Falzone notes, "If any further damaging information comes to light, Hegseth is likely cooked. The Trump insider added that if Hegseth's 2017 rape accuser comes forward, it would be 'hard to come back from' and would give wary senators cover to oppose his nomination."

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Read Mediaite's full article at this link.