(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) Pete Hegseth returned to Fox News late Monday to defend his nomination as defense secretary by President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump named Hegseth as part of his Cabinet picks on Nov. 12, and the former Fox and Friends Weekend co-host has since faced an ambush of allegations of sexual misconduct and drunkenness on the job, all which he denied.
After meeting with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, for a second time, Hegseth told Hannity that he had a “great meeting” with the reported Senate holdout.
He revealed that he will meet with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., on Tuesday and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Wednesday.
“Sean, the founders got this right. This is not a trivial process. This is a real thing. Advise and consent of a nominee that the president has chosen, and in so grateful that President Trump would have the faith in me to lead the Defense Department,” Hegseth said.
He blasted leftist media outlets for trying to railroad his confirmation through a relentless smear campaign.
“The left is trying to turn this into a trial in the media, a show trial. And we’re not gonna let that happen,” Hegseth said. “I’m gonna walk into the door of every one of these senators with… just as an open book, willing to answer their questions because they deserve answers.”
Hegseth emphasized that he looks forward to “earning” the votes of senators.
The former Fox News co-host told former colleague Sean Hannity that he was not surprised by leftist journalists relying on anonymous sources, such as 10 nameless Fox News employees cited by NBC News. He said, “This is what the left does. It’s the anatomy of a smear.”
“This is where I give so much credit to President Trump. He’s got a backbone of steel,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth revealed Trump called him on the phone and encouraged him to “keep fighting.”
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and the American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
