President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled pick to lead the Defense Department is getting a vocal boost from soldiers who served alongside him, from Guantanamo to Iraq to Afghanistan.
Nearly 90 service members signed a statement heralding Pete Hegseth’s “unparalleled” commitment to the country.
“We come from all ranks and different experiences, but have one core thing in common: We FULLY support Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be the next secretary of defense,” says the written statement, with signatures underneath. “His selfless leadership, love of his soldiers, and commitment to the country are unparalleled. And his tireless dedication to those things has never stopped and never wavered.”
The lobbying effort coincides with Mr. Hegseth’s make-or-break round of meetings on Capitol Hill this week with Republican senators who must consent to his nomination through a roll-call vote in the new Congress.
Mr. Trump shocked much of the political establishment in Washington when he nominated Mr. Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer best known as a Fox News commentator, to run the sprawling Defense Department. His former comrades said in phone interviews with The Washington Times that nothing is surprising about the selection.
Eric Geressy, who was an Army first sergeant in the mid-2000s, was skeptical when a contact told him Mr. Hegseth — an Ivy Leaguer and officer in the National Guard — wanted to serve alongside him in combat in Iraq.
“I said, ’That’s exactly what we need, more Princeton stock brokers in the company. We’re short of those guys.’”
But as Mr. Hegseth joined the 101st Airborne Division, he quickly gained the respect of Sgt. Geressy, who said he was a quick study who put soldiers first and used input to make good decisions.
“This is like a real patriot who put himself in harm’s way, not just sitting there and watching it on TV,” Sgt. Geressy said. “He came in and was very open-minded, listened to his sergeants, took that input and then made good decisions. He was looking out for the troops.”
Capt. J. Araujo, of the New Jersey Army National Guard, was Mr. Hegseth’s company commander at Guantanamo, the U.S. military prison in Cuba established to hold terror suspects and enemy combatants after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
“He was always about the mission as well as the health of his troops, and understanding what we were doing there,” Capt. Araujo said. “I had a nickname for him. I called him ‘Double-A:’ All American.”
He added, “That’s how I saw him 20 years ago. I still see him that way.”
Mr. Hegseth would rise to the rank of major and leave the Army with two Bronze Stars in 2021.
His nomination has been clouded by allegations he drank excessively, financially mismanaged a military veterans nonprofit group and made a settlement payment after being accused of sexual assault.
Mr. Hegseth has denied the accusations. Mr. Trump is standing by his pick, though some reports said the president-elect was courting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a former GOP primary rival who served in the Navy, as a possible fallback option.
Mr. Hegseth and other Trump nominees can afford to lose only three GOP senators and still be confirmed, given the makeup of the incoming Senate and the likelihood that Democrats will reject what they see as shaky picks en masse.
Sgt. Geressy, who retired as a sergeant major in 2014, said the reports around Mr. Hegseth are perplexing.
“Once we finished with Iraq, I’ve been lifelong friends with this guy. I’m reading some of these things and this is not the person I know. He’s a complete family man, very religious,” he said. “I think I’ve seen him have one or two drinks since I’ve known him in 2005. I don’t know where any of this is coming from.”
Asked if he had any qualms about Mr. Hegseth’s nomination, Capt. Araujo said: “None whatsoever.”
“No. 1, I can’t speak to [the allegations], in that I’m not aware of that,” he said. “I’m not going to say I never had a beer with a guy, but I’ve never seen him drunk, never seen him drinking.”
He also said Mr. Hegseth was in immaculate shape and completed rigorous physical tests, something that would be hard for an alcoholic to pull off.
Mr. Hegseth got an apparent boost this week from one potential holdout, Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa.
Ms. Ernst, a member of the Armed Services Committee and victim of sexual assault, didn’t say she would vote for his confirmation but indicated she won some concessions from Mr. Hegseth.
“Following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women — based on quality and standards, not quotas — and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks,” Ms. Ernst said this week. “As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.”
Mr. Trump has already been defeated on the nomination front after former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida pulled his name out of the running to become attorney general.
The focus has since turned to Mr. Hegseth and some of Mr. Trump’s other unconventional nominees, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence.
For now, Mr. Hegseth is in the hot seat — and getting a boost from old friends.
“He is the fighter we served with and the fighter our troops need today,” the soldiers wrote in their statement of support.
• Seth McLaughlin contributed to this report.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.