Republican senators offer mixed reactions to the Pete Hegseth police report
Senate Republicans offered mixed responses to President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Pete Hegseth, a Fox News personality accused of sexual assault, to lead the Defense Department following the release of a police report concerning sexual assault allegations against him.
Senate Republicans offered mixed responses Thursday to President-elect Donald Trump's announcement that he will nominate Pete Hegseth, a Fox News personality accused of sexual assault, to lead the Defense Department following the release of a police report concerning sexual assault allegations against him.
Some senators defended Trump's pick, while others voiced some trepidation, and a senator told NBC News "I don't care" when approached about a police report released Wednesday tied to an allegation of sexual assault against Hegseth in 2017.
Asked whether the sexual assault report gave him any pause about the possibility of Hegseth's serving in Trump's Cabinet, Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who is a member of the Armed Services Committee, said, "It’s a pretty big problem, given that we have, you know, we have a sexual assault problem in our military."
Cramer would not comment on whether the allegation would affect his vote, noting a long process ahead.
"You know, this is why you have background checks. This is why you have hearings. This is why you have to go through the scrutiny. I’m not going to prejudge him, but yeah, it’s a pretty concerning accusation," Cramer said.
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