Categories: Politics

‘Doing very well’: Trump rallies behind defense secretary pick Hegseth but invites DeSantis to Army-Navy game

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida will join President-elect Trump next weekend at the annual Army-Navy college football game, two sources familiar tell Fox News.

The teaming up of DeSantis and Trump – for the second time this month – comes as multiple sources have confirmed that the president-elect is considering nominating the governor as defense secretary as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, Trump’s embattled current pick to steer the Pentagon.

But the move also comes as Trump on Friday took to social media to write that “Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe.”

DeSantis, a popular conservative governor and a Navy veteran who served in the Iraq War, waged a bitter battle last year and early this year with Trump during a very combative and divisive GOP presidential nomination race. But the two Republican heavyweights seemed to make peace after the primaries, and DeSantis helped raise funds for Trump during the general election. 

TRUMP CONSIDERS DESANTIS AS POSSIBLE HEGSETH REPLACEMENT 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held multiple storm-preparation news conferences on Oct. 7, 2024, as Hurricane Milton threatened Florida. (Office of Florida governor)

DeSantis, who was re-elected in a landslide in 2022 but is term-limited and cannot run for re-election in 2026, is “very much” in contention to replace Hegseth, multiple sources told Fox News.

GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?

Another source told Fox News’ chief political anchor and “Special Report” host Bret Baier that it was the president-elect himself who floated the governor’s name, and that Trump and DeSantis discussed the idea as they met Tuesday while appearing together in Florida at a memorial service for fallen law enforcement officers in Palm Beach County.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet, as they walk through the basement of the Capitol, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The reporting from Fox News and other organizations this week came as Hegseth continued meeting with Republican senators as he made his case for confirmation as defense secretary.

WATCH: HEGSETH PUSHES BACK AGAINST REPORTERS

Hegseth, an Army National Guard officer who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and who previously was a Fox News host, is facing a series of drinking and sexual misconduct allegations. He has denied allegations that he mistreated women and has vowed that he won’t drink “a drop of alcohol” if confirmed as defense secretary.

Video

A seemingly defiant Hegseth told reporters on Thursday afternoon that “this will not be a process tried in the media. I don’t answer to anyone in this group. None of you, not to that camera at all. I answer to President Trump, who received 76 million votes on behalf . . . and a mandate for change. I answer to the 100 senators who are part of this process and those in the committee. And I answer to my Lord and Savior and my wife and my family.”

Trump, in his social media post, argued that Hegseth “will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense . . . , one who leads with charisma and skill.”

Then-President Donald Trump attended the annual Army-Navy football game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 8, 2018.  (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

The Army-Navy game is scheduled for Dec. 14 in Landover, Maryland. It will be the 125th game in the storied football series between the two military service academies. 

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump attended the game as president-elect in 2016 and three additional times during his first administration.

Share

Recent Posts

National program helps seniors spot scams as losses surge

DENVER – Scams targeting older Americans are surging, and federal officials are warning that the…

25 minutes ago

How to spot and stop AI phishing scams

Artificial intelligence can do a lot for us. Need to draft an email? AI has…

14 hours ago

Space startup unveils 1-hour orbital delivery system

A Los Angeles-based aerospace startup called Inversion Space has unveiled Arc, its first flagship spacecraft…

17 hours ago

Don’t fall for fake settlement sites that steal your data

Sometimes, data breaches result in more than just free credit monitoring. Recently, Facebook began paying…

1 day ago

Google Maps vs Waze vs Apple Maps: Which is best?

Navigation apps have become an essential part of modern life. Whether you are commuting to…

1 day ago

Australian construction robot Charlotte can 3D print 2,150-sq-ft home in one day using sustainable materials

Construction robots are no longer a far-off idea. They're already changing job sites by tackling…

3 days ago