Pete Hegseth is vowing to fight for his nomination to lead the Department of Defense amid allegations of heavy drinking, misogyny and sexual assault.
Hegseth returned to Capitol Hill on Thursday to speak with senators whose votes he will need to be confirmed.
"This process has been a very good one despite all the noise on the outside," Hegseth said on Thursday on Capitol Hill.
However, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, told Scripps News on Wednesday that he has spoken with between five and 10 Republicans who oppose Hegseth's nomination. Hegseth can only afford to lose about three Republican votes because of the narrow margin the GOP will hold in the Senate in 2025.
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Hegseth has denied reports of drinking on the job while serving as the president of the nonprofit Concerned Veterans for America. He also said on the "Megyn Kelly Show" that he would not drink if he became the secretary of defense.
"This is the biggest deployment of my life, and there won't be a drop of alcohol on my lips while I'm doing it," he said.
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Hegseth has said he still has the backing of President-elect Donald Trump who famously does not drink alcohol.
"As long as Donald Trump wants to be in this fight, I'm going to be standing right here in this fight," Hegseth said.
The Associated Press reports that Trump's team is looking at alternatives should Hegseth fail to secure the votes needed to be confirmed. One of those individuals in the running could be Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
In addition to executive experience, DeSantis joined the Navy in 2004 and achieved the rank of lieutenant commander.
