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President-elect Donald Trump may be considering replacing former Fox News host Pete Hegseth with a former GOP rival as his pick for defense secretary, according to a Wednesday report.

The New York Times, again citing unnamed sources allegedly “close” to Trump, reported that the president-elect is eyeing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) should he decide that the pressure campaign to tank Hegseth’s nomination has become insurmountable.

That said, Hegseth, in a media blitz throughout the day on Wednesday, began by saying that Trump told him, “I got your back. It’s a fight. They’re coming after you.”

“Mr. Trump has told people close to him that he likes the idea of giving Mr. DeSantis the job, saying it would be a “big story” if he resurrected Mr. DeSantis after defeating him,” The Times report said. “The president-elect has also praised Mr. DeSantis’s ability to run the state of Florida, where Mr. Trump lives, and has mentioned that he is ‘a Navy guy.’”

The Times added: “Mr. Trump has privately mentioned Michael Waltz, the Florida congressman he picked as his national security adviser, as another option, pointing out that he would be easily confirmed by the Senate. But people close to Mr. Trump believe that Mr. DeSantis is his favored alternative at this moment if he decides to abandon Mr. Hegseth.”

During an interview with top-rated SiriusXM podcaster Megyn Kelly, Hegseth heartily dismissed the allegations against him, ranging from rape to sexual assault, drunken behavior and financial mismanagement, calling them classic smears against a Trump ally akin to those against now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“It is the classic art of the smear,” Hegseth said. “Take whatever tiny kernels of truth — and there are tiny, tiny ones in there — and blow them up into a masquerade of a narrative about somebody that I am definitely not.” He also told Kelly that if he was confirmed, he would not have “a drop of alcohol” during the time he serves as the Pentagon chief.

In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Hegseth made similar arguments, writing, “I look forward to an honest confirmation hearing with our distinguished senators — not a show trial in the press.”

During a brief interview in the hallways of Congress earlier in the week, Hegseth brushed off suggestions that he may withdraw his name. “Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter,” he said.

The sexual assault allegations come from an encounter with a married woman at a conservative event circa 2017, which Hegseth said was consensual, and in which he said that neither he nor the female accuser was inebriated. A subsequent police report appeared to clear Hegseth of any wrongdoing, though he paid the woman to settle the matter quietly in what his attorney, Tim Palatore, compared to “extortion.”

But new damning allegations came from an NBC News report at the start of the week, citing as many as “ten sources” — anonymously — from Fox News, in which they claimed that Hegseth would often show up to his “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-hosting duties either smelling of alcohol or tipsy.

Following that report, co-hosts Will Cain and Rachel Campos-Duffy vehemently denied the allegations and defended their former colleague on the record, as did nearly two dozen other current and former Fox News hosts, contributors, and frequent guests.

“Bullshit. 100 percent bullshit. Actually…horseshit,” “Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Will Cain said on X.

“I was not contacted by anyone at @NBCNews. And no one had closer proximity on a continuous basis. Well…maybe @RCamposDuffy since she sat between us!” he said in another post.

“Worth repeating, @NBCNews used ‘anonymous’ sources & unconfirmed stories to smear @PeteHegseth as a drunk on the job & never once asked his FOX & Friends coworkers who sit right next to him??? Don’t forget, @MSNBC started on day one of his nomination by saying he was a known racist/white supremicist – crazy, I know, but again never asking the Hispanic woman who works with him either. I would know if Pete was racist. This is why Americans hate the media & politics. It’s why they voted for Trump who withstood every smear in the book – including being accused of TREASON. Keep fighting, Pete. America is behind you,” his other cohost, Rachel Campos Duffy said.

“I’ve guest co-hosted with him numerous times before. Not once did this happen. Not once have I heard this from others. This is such a disgusting and false smear. It is wrong and malicious,” fellow Fox News host Lisa Marie Boothe said.

“Add me to the list. It’s ridiculous bullshit,” Clay Travis said.

“I’ve co-hosted with Pete and have never experienced anything like what was claimed in this anonymously-sourced report,” another cohost, Guy Benson, said.

“Pete has always been an absolute pro, totally respectful, humble, and kind. Every single time he’s interviewed me, even at 6am ET on a Saturday or Sunday morning, he’s been sharp and totally prepared. This includes 5-6 years of being on F+F with Pete. This story is garbage,” frequent Fox News guest Charlie Kirk said.

The post Trump Considering Replacing Hegseth With DeSantis: Report appeared first on Conservative Brief.