WASHINGTON, November 16. /TASS/. The transition team of US President-elect Donald Trump reportedly expressed concerns about potential negative fallout from sexual harassment allegations made against Pete Hegseth, Trump's proposed Defense Secretary, according to The Washington Post (WP).
The newspaper notes that "senior officials on President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team on Friday weighed the future" of Hegseth "amid new revelations that police investigated an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017." "The transition team was caught by surprise by the detailed allegations and now fears more negative revelations about Hegseth," the newspaper wrote, citing an official.
According to sources, many in Trump's team are reportedly disappointed. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports that the president-elect was unaware of the full extent of the allegations against Hegseth prior to his nomination as Pentagon chief. Vanity Fair previously reported that the sexual harassment allegations against Hegseth stem from a 2017 incident.
Politico reported on Friday that one of Hegseth's former coworkers described him as an insider threat to the Pentagon. This assessment was reportedly prompted by Hegseth's tattoos, which allegedly include symbols commonly associated with white supremacy.
Hegseth attended Princeton University and Harvard University and is a combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. For the past eight years, he has been an anchor on the Fox News network. In addition to his media career, Hegseth has authored several books and chaired two veterans' rights organizations. Trump has expressed confidence that, in his new role, Hegseth will boldly and patriotically uphold the US policy of "peace through strength." However, The Associated Press noted that Trump’s nomination of Hegseth - who lacks experience in senior security positions - to lead the Pentagon has raised concerns among US defense officials.
Trump defeated Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the November 5 election. The Republicans also gained control of the Senate. His inauguration is scheduled for January 20, 2025. During his campaign, Trump pledged to end the Ukraine crisis, though no specific plans or initiatives were made public.