Trump Stands by Defense Pick Who Says Encounter With Woman Was Not Sexual Assault
President-elect Donald J.Trump has told advisers he is standing by his nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, after the transition team was jolted by an allegation he had sexually assaulted a woman in an interaction he insists was consensual.Mr.
Trump made his view plain to aides after a conversation with Mr.Hegseth days ago, after the team learned that a woman had accused him of assault in 2017, according to two people briefed on the discussion.
They also learned that Mr.Hegseth had entered into a financial settlement with the woman that had a confidentiality clause.On Sunday, Steven Cheung, the president-elect’s communications director, did not address Mr.
Trump’s thinking, but said, “President Trump is nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his administration.”He added, “Mr.Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed.
We look forward to his confirmation” by the Senate.Last week, the Monterey Police Department in California said it had investigated an allegation of sexual assault involving Mr.Hegseth in 2017 at the address of the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa.
The statement released by the police said the department had filed no charges against Mr.Hegseth.Mr.
Trump announced on Tuesday that Mr.Hegseth, a Fox News personality, was his choice to lead the Pentagon, setting off a wave of resistance from many corners of Washington.
Mr.Hegseth has criticized some in the Pentagon leadership as too “woke,” and he pushed for Mr.
Trump to intervene when he was president on behalf of three members of the military accused or convicted of war crimes, which Mr.Trump did.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
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