LOS ANGELES.–New York Times senior political correspondent Maggie Haberman, 51, thinks that 78-year-old President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, 44, might have a shot since it looks like there’s little interest in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Hegseth has been tried-and-convicted in the fake news for having a history of carousing and drinking, something some say are disqualifying. But Hegseth like anyone else is entitled to sow their wild oats or go through a party mode for a while during their youth. Hegseth has been a highly successful Fox News contributor and show host since 2014, where he made a name for himself as a military expert. Serving in the U.S. Army from 2003 to 2014, serving tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he joined the Minnesota National Guard in 2019 to 2021. Contrary to his detractors, Hegseth has plenty of military background.
Haberman thinks Trump doubles down on Hegseth now that it’s clear that DeSantis offers no better alternative for Defense Secretary. “What changed was a couple of things. One was . . . Trump could not find a single person in his orbit, or eve reality outside of it, who liked this idea of making Ron De-Santis—the governor of Florida—the Defense Secretary choice,” Haberman said. Whatever Hegseth’s past drinking or carousing, it’s no longer a disqualifier since many young people made faulty decisions at young ages. Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance both support Hegseth for Defense Secretary. ‘And it was not, you know, ‘We’re going to drop Hegseth, and we’re going to look for a bunch of other people.’ It was Hegseth or DeSants at that point,” Maggie told CNN’s John Berman. Haberman didn’t think Trump had many options to find a loyalist to serve as Defense Secretary.
Haberman remains skeptical that if Trump can’t get enough back, he’d toss Hegseth under the bus. After denounced by Chairman of the Join-Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mark Miley, Trump knows the value of loyalty for his Pentagon picks. “And so, Trump was persuaded also after a call from Pete Hegseth to let Hegseth go out and see if he could fight his way past some of these stories,” Haberman said. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) already announced she would not support Hegseth due to his opposition for women serving in the military. “In the case of Hegseth, he had . . . basically a death or near death by a thousand cuts,” Haberman said. “There had been just one negative headline after another alleging problematic behavior across a broad spectrum,” Maggie said, realizing that she and the New York Times had been in the forefront of anti-Hegseth rhetoric.
Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, now with Sirius-HM satellite, reported that Hegseth’s mother Penelope even criticized her son for not treating his former wives well in the past. But Kelly pointed out that the fake news continued attacks on Hegseth’s nomination have backfire with more people now backing his nomination. “And you say this movement most significantly, John [Berman] that this conservative now MAGA movement really, really activate online, on digital ads, making a target specifically of Sen. Jonie Ernst (R-Iowa) to try to get her to say yes,” Haberman. All the media bad-mouthing of Hegseth makes Trump back his nominee more than ever. Haberman is part of the anti-Trump liberal cabal that would like nothing more than to see him impeached against, this time removed from office. Haberman sees Trump’s election as the rise of resistance.
All the media chatter about Hegseth has largely been played out already, leaving the 44-year-old former Army officer less opposition going forward. When it comes to Senate confirmation, senators don’t like to get into the gossipy weeds tolerated in the fake news to make a case against Trump’s picks. Take 43-year-old former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Haw.) for example, she’s served in the Army since 2003, yet having been accused by the press of inappropriate relations to Russian President Vladimir Putin or 59-year-old recently deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Gabbard’s only crime was keeping the doors of communication open to foreign dictators. Trump nominated Gabbard to Director of National Intelligence, requiring a top security clearance. Media has done a real hit job questioning Gabbard’s loyalty to the United States.
Maggie Haberman has been biting her tongue lately, knowing the same vitriol against Trump that worked in the 2024 canoaugb no longer works now that he’s soon to be president. Most pro-Kamala media types have had to temper their negative Trump rhetoric recently, knowing, if nothing else, Trump enjoys a 54% approval ratings attesting to growing approval ratings since the Nov. 5 election. When it comes to Hegseth, there’s a growing consensus that the negative media reaction has peaked leaving Hegseth more likely to secure Senate approval. “I don’t think there’s an operative Plan B. There is, remains, you know, a lingering awareness that something could come up. There could be more,” Maggie told CNN’s John Berman. Trump’s team thinks the worst to the challenge against Hegseth has past with the 44-year-old former Fox News host on a glide path to confirmation.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
