Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) defended Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Pentagon, saying everyone has some “indiscretions” in their past.
Hegseth has been accused of sexual assault, mismanaging two veterans organizations, abusing alcohol, infidelity and called a serial “abuser of women” by his own mother.
In an appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show on Friday, Roy argued that no one is perfect.
“I know he’s under fire in the Senate, but he’s under fire from squishy senators who have been against everything we want to do,” Roy said.
“So I hope he holds the line all the way through. I’m defending him and we should all defend him. You know, look, we’ve all had some indiscretions in our past and things like that, every human has,” the Texas lawmaker added.
“He’s got the support of so many people and he represents somebody who would take on the defense establishment and we need that. Desperately need that,” Roy said.
Roy’s comment comes as Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Pentagon is in doubt, amid the scandals, with even some of Trump’s closest allies in the Senate beginning to have questions.
“He obviously has a chance to defend himself here. But some of this stuff is – it’s going to be difficult,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said.
For his part, Hegseth remains defiant. He vowed to keep fighting even as Trump is already reportedly weighing options to replace him.
“I spoke to the president-elect this morning. He said, ‘Keep going, keep fighting. I’m behind you all the way,'” Hegseth told reporters Wednesday. “Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter. I’m here for the fighters. This is personal and passionate for me.”
