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Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, is not backing down.

While speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill, Hegseth told the press that he only answers to Trump, the Senate, his wife, and Jesus Christ.

Hegseth is facing old allegations of sexual misconduct and drink abuse. Hegseth has unequivocally denied all of the allegations against him, but they have resulted in some lawmakers like Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) hesitant to back Hegseth through his confirmation.

After holding private meetings with senators on Capitol Hill, Hegseth maintained his position when questioned by the press, asserting that his only accountability was to Trump, the Senate, and Jesus Christ.

“Have they pressed you on the issue of alcohol?” a reporter asked.

“We’ve had great conversations about who I am and what I believe. And frankly, the man I am today because of my faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and my incredible wife, Jenny, right here. I’m a different man than I was years ago. And that’s a redemption story that I think a lot of Americans appreciate. And I know from fellow vets that I’ve spent time with, they resonate with that as well. You fight. You go do tough things in tough places on behalf of your country. And sometimes that changes you a little bit,” Hegseth began.

“And by the grace of God and my Lord and Savior, I had an opportunity to ask you to come on up out of it and do great things with great veterans organizations that fought for vets, that fought for reform at the VA and for warfighters and at the Fox News Channel to advocate for those very same causes. And I’m proud of what I fought for. I’m not going to back down from them one bit,” he added.

Hegseth continued, “I will answer all of these senators’ questions. But 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. I’m proud to be here as long as Donald Trump wants me in this fight. I’m going to be standing right here in this fight fighting to bring our Pentagon back to what it needs to be.”

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Alabama GOP Sen. Katie Boyd Britt came out in support of Hegseth after meeting with him, praising his dedication to Trump’s vision of “peace through strength” and his willingness to change the Pentagon’s goals.

“He is committed to putting our warfighters in the best position and returning the Pentagon’s focus to our force’s lethality,” Britt said on X. “We also had a great discussion about the importance of Alabama to our national defense.”

“During our conversation, I asked direct questions about allegations that have been reported by the media, which Pete answered with candor and transparency. Based on our meeting and his answers, he has my support,” Britt said.

Earlier Thursday, Senator Kevin Cramer, a Republican from North Dakota and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed confidence in Hegseth.

During an interview on CNN, Tennessee GOP Sen. Bill Hagerty announced his support for the embattled nominee. The endorsement provides a significant boost as Hegseth faces mounting skepticism from within his party over his qualifications and readiness to lead the Pentagon.

Hegseth intimated during a hallway interview at the U.S. Capitol that he’s not going to drop out of consideration despite mounting allegations of sexual and personal misconduct.

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