Dozens of veterans and servicemembers who directly served with Pete Hegseth are pledging their support for the Fox News host as he battles to be confirmed as the next secretary of defense, the Daily Caller learned first.
As the decorated veteran’s fight to earn the Senate’s support heats up, 44 veterans who served alongside Hegseth in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan are signing onto a letter of support to back him. Several prominent veterans, including Dan Caldwell and Joseph Wade Miller, have previously pledged their support for Hegseth, but the letter marks the first time a mass group of veterans he himself served with have vouched for his character, including all three of his direct commanders. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Hegseth Confirmation Battle Heats Up With New Ad Targeting Joni Ernst)
“We, the undersigned, served directly with Pete Hegseth in the U.S. military — either in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Afghanistan, or in various units. 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,” the letter reads.
NEW: Dozens of veterans and military members who directly served with Pete Hegseth are pushing for the nominee to be confirmed as the next Defense Secretary.
The letter, obtained exclusively by @DailyCaller, here: pic.twitter.com/NnXlFepq66
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) December 10, 2024
“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. He is the fighter we served with, and the fighter our troops need today,” the letter continues.
After Trump nominated Hegseth, he came under fire for allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking. The newly-surfaced stories include a 2017 investigation into claims he sexually assaulted a woman, but no charges were ever filed. Other outlets have posted stories with anonymous sources claiming that the former Fox News host had abused alcohol. The New York Times then obtained and published a 2018 email sent from Hegseth’s mother to her son in which she alleged he had mistreated and belittled women.
The tide has been turning in Hegseth’s favor in recent days, though. His mother took to Fox News last week to explain that she sent the email in “haste” and hours later had apologized and retracted some of her words.
Hegseth has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill to win over some seemingly-skeptical Republicans. The focus has primarily been on Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, herself a combat veteran, as she has declined to publicly say whether she would support Hegseth.
A close family member told the Caller that Hegseth has been overwhelmed with the amount of text messages and emails that he’s been getting directly from military personnel saying they are re-enlisting after hearing he would be leading the Defense Department. The people who initially reached out to give their support to Hegseth have continued to contact the family and encourage him to continue in the confirmation process, the family member said.
“His wife, Jen was just telling me today, the stack of letters at their house each day of people mailing in just saying, like, ‘Hey, we’re with you. I’m reenlisting, or my son is enlisting because of you,’” the close family member told the Caller.
“Pete is a patriot and was an outstanding platoon leader who always led from the front and placed the troops first. He would always listen to the advice of his NCOs, assess the entire situation and then make the best decision possible at that time,” First Sgt. Eric Geressey, who served nearly two years with Hegseth in Iraq, told the Caller.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to reporters after meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on December 5, 2024 in Washington, DC. Hegseth continues to meet with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill as new allegations of alcohol abuse have emerged. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
An additional 831 veterans and military personnel have signed onto a Heritage Foundation letter in support of Hegseth, an official told the Caller.
“He was very by the book. He knew his stuff when a lot of Lieutenants don’t know what they are doing but he came experienced. He was a soldier’s soldier,” SSGT Cliff Meros, Charlie Company, of the 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry Brigade, told the Caller. “He was always one of the guys and blended in with the more seasoned NCO’s like me.”
Ernst’s early resistance triggered backlash from some conservatives. As it was rumored that the Iowa senator was potentially being floated to replace Hegseth in the nomination process, she told Real Clear Politics on Thursday that she was not leading a campaign against him.
Hegseth and Ernst met on Monday for an additional meeting, which showed promising signs after Ernst gave a positive statement to Punchbowl.
I want to thank @SenJoniErnst for taking the time to meet with me again today. She has long been a leader on many important defense issues—which I deeply appreciate. I welcome her ongoing counsel.
I am grateful for Sen. Ernst’s support through this process. pic.twitter.com/NrRRRO9qzh
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) December 9, 2024
.@SenJoniErnst sounds like a yes for Pete Hegseth, which would be huge for his nomination as Defense secretary pic.twitter.com/VLZYN1HnKO
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) December 9, 2024
“Deployment to GITMO— usually second LT’s join a platoon and try to establish dominance right away. Pete came in confident and professional. Was always calm and communicated very well,” SGT Mark Tolley, who served at Guantanamo with Hegseth, told the Caller. “He led by example and was a no-nonsense leader, but never had to raise his voice. He won over the platoon very quickly and every soldier became very loyal to him.”