Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she hasn’t decided whether to support Pete Hegseth’s nomination as defense secretary after the two talked on Wednesday.
Hegseth sat down with Collins behind closed doors, after meeting with another moderate Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), to discuss the matter the day before.
Collins said that the meeting was substantive and that she would wait until a committee hearing and the completion of an FBI background check before committing to a vote.
“We covered a wide range of topics, ranging from defense procurement reforms to the role of women in military, sexual assault in the military, Ukraine, NATO, a wide range of issues,” the senator told reporters.
Hegseth, a decorated Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host, also spoke with reporters following Wednesday’s meeting.
“We focused on what needs to be done to make sure we, this Pentagon, is focused on warfighting and lethality,” Hegseth said. “We look forward to staying in touch with her. You certainly did not assume anything about where the senator stands. This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope overall, when we, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support, but it’s about earning support in this process in ongoing conversations. And we’re doing this for the warfighter and I’m grateful to the President.”
Wednesday’s visit to Washington is part of Hegseth’s efforts to solidify his path to Senate confirmation. His meetings with Murkowski and Collins, both centric GOP senators, were especially important since they are considered possible swing votes.
Trump has expressed unwavering support for Hegseth, who has been facing several misconduct allegations.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, has expressed some concern over sexual assault allegations made against Hegseth in 2017.
“It’s a pretty big problem, given that we have, you know, we have a sexual assault problem in our military,” he told reporters on Capitol Hill last month.
A police report from the 2017 incident indicated that a woman told law enforcement that Hegseth allegedly sexually assaulted her after he reportedly took her phone and refused to let her leave a California hotel room.
Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni said that her office declined to file charges because of the lack of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told the media on Capitol Hill last month.
Hegseth is still trying to gain the support of Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate and a member of the Armed Services Committee.
“Following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women—based on quality and standards, not quotas—and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks,” Ernst wrote. “As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.”
