When Donald Trump first nominated a Fox News host named Pete Hegseth to run the Department of Defense, the general consensus was that it was not a great idea, given Hegseth’s lack of experience and opinions like, “we should not have women in combat roles.” Then a torrent of allegations* came out against Hegseth—including a sexual assault accusation and a whistleblower claim of “being repeatedly intoxicated” on the job while serving as president of the nonprofit Concerned Veterans for America, where he also allegedly “sexually pursued the organization’s female staffers”—and his nomination looked like an extra bad idea. Yet Republicans confirmed him anyway, a move that promptly blew up in their faces when he sent classified war plans, via Signal, to a group of individuals that included Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. A month later, The New York Times reported that Hegseth had also shared details about upcoming strikes in Yemen in a group chat that included his wife and brother. Around this time, Hegseth went on TV to blast three staffers (and onetime allies) for allegedly leaking information, despite an investigation turning up no evidence against them.
So, yeah, you can probably understand why the White House is apparently having trouble finding people willing to work for the guy. Per NBC News:
The White House is looking for a new chief of staff and several senior advisers to support Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after a series of missteps that have shaken confidence in his leadership, but it has so far found no suitable takers, according to four current and former administration officials and a Republican congressional aide.
Top Defense Department jobs, including the defense secretary’s chief of staff, are normally considered prestigious and typically attract multiple qualified candidates. But at least three people have already turned down potential roles under Hegseth, according to a former US official, the defense official and a person familiar with the matter.
According to NBC News, JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles have been searching for candidates for the jobs but have so far “not had much luck identifying people who are either willing to work for Hegseth or who fit the bill politically.” (Not surprisingly, some people have been deemed not “MAGA enough.”) While one White House official told NBC News that it’s not unusual for the White House to be involved in staffing roles throughout the administration, a current and former official pointed to the uncomfortable fact that the White House ordered Hegseth to cancel a Middle East trip last month after they learned he was going to make a stop in Israel; later, Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem was asked to visit the region and meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In other words, the White House was more confident that Cruella de Vil would stay on message compared to the guy they hired to run the Department of Defense. Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the White House, said Hegseth enjoys “the full support” of Trump.
In a statement, Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told NBC News, “The anonymous sources cited in this article have no idea what they’re talking about.… There has never been more enthusiasm to serve under Secretary Hegseth’s leadership at the DoD.” A spokesperson for Vance said: “Vice President Vance has had Secretary Hegseth’s back since the day President Trump nominated him, and he fully supports the incredible work Pete’s doing at the Pentagon to improve military readiness and drive recruitment numbers to record highs.”
*Hegseth has denied engaging in sexual misconduct and was not charged following an investigation; he later paid the accuser, who was required to sign a nondisclosure agreement. In response to The New Yorker’s reporting on the whistleblower complaint, Hegseth’s lawyer sent a statement that read: “We’re not going to comment on outlandish claims laundered through The New Yorker by a petty and jealous disgruntled former associate of Mr. Hegseth’s. Get back to us when you try your first attempt at actual journalism.”
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