It’s been a tumultuous few days for Pete Hegseth, as the future of his nomination as President-elect Trump’s defense secretary has been called into question due to chatter from “anonymous sources.”
When Wednesday dawned, things looked a little uncertain for Hegseth. There were reports that a handful of Republican senators did not support his nomination. Hegseth’s mother appeared on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” defend her son against allegations of past misconduct. Hegseth himself conducted an hour-long interview with Megyn Kelly.
Hegseth: Today I had the opportunity to sit with Megyn Kelly for an hour. I refer you to this interview. She’s probably asked all the questions you’d like to ask.
Reporter: Will you commit to not drinking at work? pic.twitter.com/E7Jr2V59Nt
– Acyn (@Acyn) December 4, 2024
Some thought Hegseth would have a news cycle or two to get to the bottom of the allegations and save his nomination; There was talk that Trump was considering a Plan B. Trump himself called Hegseth, who has been trying to drum up support on Capitol Hill, and reportedly told Hegseth: “Keep going, keep fighting, I’m behind you all the way.”
Wednesday appears to be ending on a better note for the potential SecDef, according to an op-ed he wrote in the Wall Street Journal today. The editorial is titled “I’ve Faced Fire Before.” In it, Hegseth recounts his years in the U.S. Army, defending our nation during combat missions in Iraq.
Since the comment is behind the WSJ paywall, the Trump campaign was kind enough to publish it in full in a slow afternoon press release. We’ll post the text below, but first let’s highlight some of the more critical parts.
From his time leading Vets for Freedom:
We traveled the country, stormed Capitol Hill, and returned to the battlefield to report progress. We were newborn, brave and battle-hardened. Our passion was for the troops who were still fighting – and we supported them.
We weren’t perfect, but we were always sincere and sedate. We raised money honestly and spent it earnestly – to advance our cause. We were not political experts, but we were patriotic believers. Like veterans returning from war, we drank beer to cope with the reality of our situation. But we never did anything wrong and treated everyone with respect. We had a new mission and we fought for it.
On his time at Fox News:
Since then, I’ve been at Fox News – where I saw my work as a continuation of my mission to fight for America. Once again the aged press has used anonymous sources to discredit even this. (Check out my X-Feed for all the official sources I’ve actually worked with who know what kind of person I am and how I behave.)
On his return to faith after his journey as a war veteran:
But by the grace of God, I took a different path. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has renewed and restored my life. I am saved by his grace.
On his future as Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense:
I am grateful that President-elect Trump chose me to lead the Department of Defense, and I look forward to an sincere confirmation hearing with our distinguished senators – not a show trial in the press.
Here it is in its entirety:
I’ve faced fire before. I won’t give in
I wrote an article on these pages 18 years ago entitled “More troops, please.” I was a newborn U.S. Army lieutenant who had just completed a combat tour in Iraq and believed we needed more troops and a new strategy to turn the tide of the war. I had seen a lot, been through a lot and believed in my troops and the mission.
I have been fighting for our troops ever since.
I didn’t know it at the time, but with that comment my next mission began – fighting for the warriors on the home front. Like many veterans of my generation, when I returned home, I threw myself into a new mission—always looking for a way to channel the single-mindedness that had been unleashed in combat.
For me, this next mission meant taking on Vets for Freedom, an organization for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. We traveled the country, stormed Capitol Hill, and returned to the battlefield to report progress. We were newborn, brave and battle-hardened. Our passion was for the troops who were still fighting – and we supported them.
We weren’t perfect, but we were always sincere and sedate. We raised money honestly and spent it earnestly – to advance our cause. We were not political experts, but we were patriotic believers. Like veterans returning from war, we drank beer to cope with the reality of our situation. But we never did anything wrong and treated everyone with respect. We had a new mission and we fought for it.
In the 2008 election, we fought strenuous for John McCain to defeat Barack Obama. We were a bit naive and ended up doubling our political spending when other groups withdrew. It was a tactical mistake that left us in debt (like most political campaigns). But I stayed with the organization until all debts were paid and outstanding contracts were negotiated.
Shortly thereafter, I volunteered again for a foreign assignment, this time in Afghanistan, while Mr. Obama was president. For me, fighting and winning our wars has never been political. I wanted to do my part again; Like many warriors of my generation, I found that the battlefield exerted a recurring pull on my passions. But the war wasn’t going well, and we all knew it.
When I returned from that battlefield, I took over leadership of another veterans organization, Concerned Veterans for America. My mission at home continued. This time, we fought to fix our broken Department of Veterans Affairs health care system, and we made great progress. Our group was the original nexus of VA accountability and VA health care legislation, improving the lives of countless veterans. Few groups in Washington have ever achieved as much as we have.
We fought against entrenched interests and mobilized veterans and patriotic Americans across the country. We had hundreds of employees and thousands of volunteers – but based on the anonymous accusations of a few disgruntled employees, the legacy media made it seem like we were running a fraternity. That is simply untrue.
What is true is that as our organization has grown, there have been internal disagreements about its future. I wanted to get involved in foreign policy; our donors do not. Eventually the organization and I parted ways. The feeling was mutual and the organization’s leadership wrote me an enthusiastic letter when I left.
Since then, I’ve been at Fox News – where I saw my work as a continuation of my mission to fight for America. Once again the aged press has used anonymous sources to discredit even this. (Check out my X-Feed for all the official sources I’ve actually worked with who know what kind of person I am and how I behave.)
I’ve been through a lot: combat deployments, job changes, divorces and family challenges. (Yes, I love my mother very much and she loves me.) I have always led with honesty, integrity and passion. Tragically, many veterans never find meaning in their next chapter and succumb to the bottle, depression or, worst of all, suicide. I understand what they are facing – because I have experienced it. But by the grace of God, I took a different path. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has renewed and restored my life. I am saved by his grace.
The press spreads one anonymous story after another, all designed to vilify and tear me down. It’s a textbook media takedown. They provide no evidence, no names, and they ignore the legions of people who speak on my behalf. They must create a bogeyman because they believe I threaten their institutional insanity. That’s the only thing they’re right about.
Talk to those who served with me in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Afghanistan or in the National Guard. They support me and I feel honored by that. I have never backed down from a fight and I will not back down from this one. I am grateful that President-elect Trump chose me to lead the Department of Defense, and I look forward to an sincere confirmation hearing with our distinguished senators – not a show trial in the press.
Read the WSJ Op-Ed Here.
This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as they become available.
