Trump confident Pete Hegseth will be confirmed as defense sec

President-elect Donald Trump expressed confidence that his nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, will be confirmed by the Senate, despite recent controversies surrounding the former Fox News contributor and military veteran.

In a preview of an exclusive interview with Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, which will air in its entirety on Sunday, Trump defended his choice for secretary of defense and highlighted Hegseth’s qualifications for the position.

"I mean, people were a little bit concerned. He’s a young guy, with a tremendous track record actually,” Trump said. “He went to Princeton and went to Harvard. He was a good student at both. But he loves the military and I think people are starting to see it so we’ll be working on his nomination along with a lot of others."

When asked if he still had confidence in Hegseth for the nomination, Trump responded, "Yes I do, I really do.” Trump added, “He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him through Fox, but I’ve known him for a long time. And he’s basically a military guy. Every time I talk to him, all he wants to talk about is the military.”

Trump also noted that several senators have expressed support for Hegseth, describing him as a "fantastic" choice for the role.

The comments come as Hegseth faces scrutiny over a sexual assault allegation from 2017, which resurfaced after his nomination when a police report was made public. Hegseth was never charged with a crime and has maintained that the interaction was consensual.

Trump has dismissed the allegations, as well as reports that Hegseth has allegedly struggled with drinking. Trump, who does not drink, stated that he spoke to individuals close to Hegseth who assured him the nominee does not have a drinking problem.

"I’ve spoken to people that know him very well and they say he does not have a drinking problem," Trump attested.