U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville has reaffirmed his full support of Pete Hegseth for the role of Secretary of Defense after meeting with the decorated veteran on Monday.
Hegseth, a host for Fox News and Bronze Star recipient, is currently fighting attacks on his personal character from both leftists and a small contingent of establishment Republicans.
After the meeting, Tuberville praised Hegseth while speaking to reporters but noted that he wouldn’t be discussing the claims.
“He is a decorated veteran and a true patriot,” Tuberville said. “As I told him, we don’t need a General Officer, Admiral, or a ‘person of high command.’ We need a drill sergeant in the military. We need somebody to straighten the military out – to get the woke, DEI affiliation out. I know he is the right choice to bring change and renewed focus to the Pentagon.”
“I’m gonna leave the personal stuff between y’all and him whenever he has an opportunity to sit down with you and explain the allegations that you’re all pushing out,” Tuberville continued. “I’ve known him for a while. Pete’s the type of guy that he’s going to work. He’s got a great work ethic. He’s very, very smart. He understands the business side as well as the military side.”
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BREAKING: Senator Tuberville praises Pete Hegseth after their meeting: “He’s going to be a great Secretary of Defense.”
pic.twitter.com/8yEwhiRwuh— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 2, 2024
“He’s actually fought in wars. He is a good age too. Somebody that can relate to the young men and women that we need to recruit in the military.”
Tuberville posted about the meeting on X and said that Hegseth is going to be a “great Secretary of Defense.”
According to Tuberville, the claims against Hegseth were not discussed in the meeting. However, he did say that he has personally spoken over the phone with the nominee on the subject.
Tuberville acknowledged that if the allegations gain credibility, Hegseth faces an uphill battle for confirmation in the upper chamber. Hegseth also ran Vets for Freedom, a pro-Iraq War advocacy group.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
