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Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is pushing back against allegations against Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, arguing that everyone has some “indiscretions” in their past.
The comment, made on conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s show, comes as Hegseth faces allegations of sexual assault and binge drinking, which are threatening to close his offerto be the next head of the Pentagon.
“I think Pete Hegseth was an outstanding choice,” Roy said. “I know he’s under fire in the Senate, but he’s under fire from senators who have come out against everything we want to do. And so I hope Pete holds the line to the end. I’m standing up for him, and we should all defend it.”
“You know, look, we’ve all had some indiscretions in our past and things like that, all humans have,” Roy added. “But shame, Pete Hegseth, he has the support of so many people and represents someone who would take on the defense establishment, and we need that, we desperately need that.”
Hegseth met on Capitol Hill with senators this week, working to drum up support for his nomination to lead the Defense Department. That effort, however, has run into difficulties as some lawmakers raise concerns about the former Fox News host’s past.
Hegseth was accused of sexual assault in 2017 and signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of a financial settlement he paid the woman. He denied any wrongdoing. And during the weekend, The New Yorker magazine reported about a whistleblower report about Hegseth’s time as president of Concerned Veterans of America from 2013 to 2016 that described him as intoxicated while on the job, among other allegations.
Hegseth this week pledged to stop drinking if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon.
With Democrats expected to vote against Hegseth’s confirmation, he can only afford to lose the support of three Republicans. Trump has been pondering alternatives to Hegsethincluding Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a source told The Hill.
While Roy has no connection to Hegseth’s confirmation, as the Senate has advisory and consent authority, his comments could help the nominee as he works to build support publicly.
Roy took to the House floor Thursday to support Hegseth and some of Trump’s other nominees, arguing that the president-elect deserves to fill his cabinet with people he wants to work with.
“I see Senate Republicans doing this dance of wringing their hands and worrying about the president’s nominees,” Roy said. “The president was elected by the American people to change this city. He has appointed people who want to change this city.”
“If you’re going to knock over all the rocks from everyone’s past and then say they’re not capable or don’t deserve to be Secretary of Defense, as is currently happening with the attacks on Pete Hegseth, well, maybe you should to remove the board from the eyes,” he added. “I’m not saying we don’t have proper standards in the advice and consent process. We do and we have to. I believe in that, in the separation of powers. But the president also deserves the courtesy and respect of his own party, in particular, of the individuals he proposes to change the city. He was elected to change it.”
Roy, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, also expressed support for former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the candidate to lead the Department of Health. and Human Services.
Both face several controversies that threaten their confirmation chances: Gabbard, a former Democrat, is facing skepticismfor his past comments on the Russia-Ukraine war, which were sympathetic to Moscow and echoed by Russian state media; Kennedy, another former Democrat, has raised eyebrows for his vaccine skepticism.
Roy, however, offered a defense for the couple.
“You don’t like Tulsi because she’s a Democrat, get over it,” Roy said. “She is no longer, now she is a republican, but she was in this chamber, I served with her. She’s a Democrat.”
“You don’t like Bobby Kennedy because he’s from the iconic Democratic family, get over it,” he added. “I disagree with Bobby Kennedy on a lot of different things, but I agree with him that we need to fundamentally change our health care system, that we need to make America healthy again.”
