Trump’s defense pick Pete Hegseth faces scrutiny over sexual assault claims and attacks on UN and Nato – US politics live | Trump administration
Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth faces scrutiny over sexual assault claims and Nato views
Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.
This morning, we start with news that president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, has previously criticized several key US alliances, including Nato, as well as allied countries such as Turkey and international institutions such as the UN, and has said that US troops should not be bound by the Geneva conventions.
This comes as Hegseth is also facing scrutiny over allegations of sexual assault and misconduct from 2017. Police did not press charges at the time, and Hegseth has maintained that the encounter was consensual and has denied any wrongdoing.
Last week, the police report detailing the allegations and incident was made public, and since then, concerns around Hegseth’s path to confirmation have grown, with some Republican lawmakers reportedly uncomfortable with the series of sexual misconduct allegations against Hegseth and Trump’s other cabinet picks.
As Hegseth faces a potentially challenging Senate confirmation process next year, concerns continue to arise regarding his qualifications for the position, as well as about his controversial views and past statements.
In other news:
The prominent Republican US senator, James Lankford of Oklahoma said on Sunday that Congress would not give blanket approval to Trump’s controversial cabinet picks.
Public health experts are concerned that if confirmed, Trump’s selection for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr could jeopardize access to pharmaceutical drugs in favor of more experimental treatments.
Key events
Vice-president Kamala Harris and her former running mate, Governor Tim Walz, are hosting a call on Tuesday to thank their supporters.
The call has been scheduled for 3pm ET on Tuesday, and is described as a “national grassroots call” featuring Harris and Walz to thank their supporters. “Learn how to stay involved in this fight” the description adds.
Harris is scheduled to arrive in California on Monday, after vacationing in Hawaii with her husband, Doug Emhoff, since Tuesday.
A new survey conducted CBS News has found that most Americans say they approve of Donald Trump’s handling of the presidential transition process.
The new poll, released this morning, also found that 31% of respondents reported feeling “happy” about Trump’s win, while 24% said they were satisfied. In contrast, 23% said they were dissatisfied, and 21% reported feeling angry.
Among Democratic voters surveyed, 50% reported feeling scared about what Trump will do as president, and 35% expressed concern.
In contrast, a majority of Republicans surveyed said that they were excited for Trump’s second presidency, and 41% reported feeling optimistic.
Overall, CBS reports that Republicans today are more enthusiastic about Trump’s presidency now than they were in 2016 when he was first elected.
Meanwhile, Democrats say they feel more scared about what Trump might do than they did in 2016, with many believing he will threaten their rights and freedoms.
Who has Trump picked for cabinet over the weekend
In the last three days Donald Trump finished up making his major cabinet announcements.
If you missed them, here is a quick roundup.
Trump chose Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, to be agriculture secretary.
Trump named Scott Bessent, a longtime hedge-fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, to serve as treasury secretary.
Trump picked Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was OMB chief during Trump’s previous term in office and has been deeply involved in Project 2025 in recent years.
Trump announced Sebastian Gorka, a former Breitbart writer and longtime rightwing Maga supporter, as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counter-terrorism in his second administration.
Trump named Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon representative, as his nominee for labor secretary. Chavez-DeRemer recently lost her re-election bid for the House of Representatives.
Dr Janette Nesheiwat, a double board-certified medical doctor, a regular Fox News contributor, is Trump’s pick for surgeon general.
Alex Wong, a former state department official will serve as deputy national security adviser.
Trump also said he would nominate the Johns Hopkins surgeon and writer Marty Makary to lead the Food and Drug Administration.
Trump announced Scott Turner as his pick to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Trump announced Dave Weldon, a former representative and a medical doctor, as his choice for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth faces scrutiny over sexual assault claims and Nato views
Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.
This morning, we start with news that president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, has previously criticized several key US alliances, including Nato, as well as allied countries such as Turkey and international institutions such as the UN, and has said that US troops should not be bound by the Geneva conventions.
This comes as Hegseth is also facing scrutiny over allegations of sexual assault and misconduct from 2017. Police did not press charges at the time, and Hegseth has maintained that the encounter was consensual and has denied any wrongdoing.
Last week, the police report detailing the allegations and incident was made public, and since then, concerns around Hegseth’s path to confirmation have grown, with some Republican lawmakers reportedly uncomfortable with the series of sexual misconduct allegations against Hegseth and Trump’s other cabinet picks.
As Hegseth faces a potentially challenging Senate confirmation process next year, concerns continue to arise regarding his qualifications for the position, as well as about his controversial views and past statements.
In other news:
The prominent Republican US senator, James Lankford of Oklahoma said on Sunday that Congress would not give blanket approval to Trump’s controversial cabinet picks.
Public health experts are concerned that if confirmed, Trump’s selection for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr could jeopardize access to pharmaceutical drugs in favor of more experimental treatments.
