WASHINGTON — Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman is standing out among Democratic senators for meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for high-level roles in his second administration, including one of the most controversial: Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon.
The Pennsylvania Democratic senator sat down with the defense secretary nominee at the Capitol on Thursday, after meeting with and declaring his support for the president-elect’s pick for ambassador to the United Nations, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, on Wednesday.
It comes as Hegseth, who has been embroiled in controversy, entered another round of one-on-ones with Republican senators on Capitol Hill this week seemingly on better footing after Trump reiterated his support for the veteran and Fox News host over the weekend.
Fetterman on Thursday emerged from the meeting initially quipping that the pair agreed that the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to win before appearing to play down the significance of the sit-down.
“There’s not really news, we had a conversation, that’s part of the process,” Fetterman told a swarm of reporters. “I’m going to follow the process and I’m going to listen to what my colleagues on the other side continue to say and how they evaluate.”
He did not directly answer whether he was open to voting in favor of him. Fetterman is believed to be the first Democratic senator to meet with Hegseth since he was chosen by Trump.
On Thursday morning before the meeting, the Pennsylvania Democrat stressed in an interview with CNN that Hegseth still had to go through an FBI background check and a committee hearing, noting he did not understand why the meeting would be considered controversial.
“I’m not sure why it would be controversial to anybody if he’s the individual who could potentially be the next secretary of defense,” Fetterman said.
He added that some allegations against Hegseth may come up in the conversation.
Faced with a spate of recent controversies – including an alleged sexual assault in 2017, media reports detailing accusations of concerns about his drinking habits, sexual behavior and financial management in previous roles and pushback on his beliefs on women serving in combat roles – Hegseth has spent days on Capitol Hill over multiple weeks looking to shore up enough support from Republican senators to be confirmed for the top Pentagon job.
Hegseth can only lose three votes from GOP senators if all Democrats are against him.
Some of Trump’s other controversial picks, such as former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, joined Hegseth on the Hill this week in meeting with senators and looking to garner support.
