There's like a split screen going on here. We have the public playing out on Capitol Hill where you are behind the scenes. What's the mood right now?
What are they seeing? Yeah, and actually one of those people whose name is being floated, Hegseth, just walked into a meeting with Senator Joni Ernst. She is on a short list of people that's being circulated for possible replacements.
If Hegseth can't get the votes, remember, one of the things Donald Trump is watching very closely is how senators are reacting to heads up. We know that there is a list floating around. It has Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on it.
It has, as I said, Joni Ernst on it, who is now currently meeting with Pete Hegseth on the Hill, as well as Senator Bill Hagerty. And there are still a couple of other names on that list. Now, whether or not Donald Trump has given up support, he doesn't appear he has, particularly given the fact that he has said he spoke to Donald Trump today.
Take a listen to what he said on The Megan Kelly Show. He reiterated the same thing this morning. Hey, Pete, I got your back.
It's a fight. They're coming after. You get after it.
The media is driving with this ridiculous narrative. It's our turn to. It's our time to stand up and tell the truth and our side.
And he knows that. Now, one of the things to remember here is that when Donald Trump called Matt Gates, he was all in on Matt Gaetz until he realized that he didn't have the votes in the Senate. And then he called him and said, you simply don't have the votes.
Which led to Matt Gaetz withdrawing his name for attorney general. Doesn't appear that that is where we are right now. However, when I'm talking to people in Trump's orbit, there is a lot of concern.
Concerned about two things. One, there is a math issue. They're not sure they can get him over the finish line.
But two, they've seen this drip, drip of allegations coming out against heads up. And there is a large concern that more might be out there. What else is waiting in the wings that could tip the scale either way?
One thing to keep in mind here, as the senators are making up their minds, they are obviously going to look to Mar-A-Lago, look to Donald Trump to see where his head is at. There are currently reports being circulated that he is mulling other options, which might give some of those senators who are quietly, privately saying they aren't sure they can support heads, that a little bit more cover now when it comes to this nominee. That's a great point.
Kristen Holmes live for us in West Palm Beach. Thanks so much. Let's go now to CNN's Loren Fox on Capitol Hill.
Lauren, I don't usually go to Senator Richard Blumenthal for whip counts of where the Senate Republican Conference is, but the point he's making is one that I think you are definitely hearing behind the scenes. I've heard behind the scenes as well. There are issues here.
How deep are the issues that Pete Hegseth is dealing with with Republicans? Well, Bill, I will give an example of someone whose job it is to count Republican votes and that is caught Republican Whip John Thune, who will become the next Republican leader in January. I asked him repeatedly if he was ready to back headset after his meeting today, and twice he dodged the second time he was arguing that right now all he is doing is he is assuring headset like he has every other nominee that he has met with, that they are entitled to a fair process, a fair confirmation hearing, and that he is waiting to see as these meetings continue today on Capitol Hill and throughout the rest of the week, what his colleagues think about the path ahead.
I think that that is a very telling sign right now of where things stand. Everyone is in wait and see mode on Capitol Hill. Now, Pete Hegseth just went in to Senator Joni Ernst office.
This has been one of the most watched meetings coming up on Capitol Hill. That is because of some of the past comments that Pete Hegseth has made about women in combat. Some of the vision that he has for the Pentagon, those are going to be areas where Joni Ernst, who was a sexual assault survivor, is going to be drilling down to understand whether or not she can actually back, Hague says.
Someone else who met with Seth yesterday is the senator from West Virginia, Shelley Moore Capito. When I asked her if she was ready to back Hegseth after her meeting, she said that she was still working through the process. So what you're hearing right now is a lot of Republicans who are not ready at this moment to throw their weight behind the nominee that Trump has selected to lead the Pentagon efforts.
Senator Ernst is really led on that issue on Capitol Hill also being floated as a potential replacement if he should fail. Lauren Fox, thanks so much from Capitol Hill, Brianna. We have Democratic Congressman Jason Crow of Colorado joining us.
He is a former Army Ranger, and he sits on the House Intelligence Committee. I just wonder what your read is on how this is going for Hegseth. Is this, you know, a nomination that you see is dead in the water, or do you think he might actually make it?
Well, it doesn't seem to be going well, that's for sure. But listen, when you talk about Donald Trump and what Donald Trump wants, I have learned over the last, almost six years that I've been in Congress to never underestimate his ability to roll Republicans to do his will. Right.
I mean, the fact that we're even talking about this guy as a potential head of the Department of Defense, the nation's largest department with an $800 billion budget, with over 2 million service members deployed in 72 different places around the world. And this is as somebody with alcohol abuse allegations, with sexual abuse allegations, with allegations that he misappropriated and misused funds of veterans organizations. who has said that women shouldn't serve in combat role?
The fact that we're even talking about this is absurd in the first instance. And I know you talked to a lot of veterans on both sides of the aisle. There is a strong community of veterans up there on the hill.
What are you hearing from them? Well, I as you know, I'm one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. I have a lot of very close friends on both sides of the aisle, and we're veterans.
A lot of the fellow veterans here. I'm the co-chair right now of the bipartisan Veterans Caucus in the House. And what kills me about this war, there's a lot of things that kill me about this, but one of which is that there are there are no shortage of qualified people for this job, right?
Republicans who I know who I respect, who are qualified, who I might disagree with on policy and all manner of issues, but actually are able to do the job so well, let's just move on here and actually pick somebody who we think is qualified and could do honor to what is a really important role for our service members. You tick through some of the issues facing Hegseth here. There's this new reporting from multiple outlets this week about his alleged issues with drinking.
NBC reporting it was an issue at Fox up until the time that he was tapped for defense secretary here recently. headset denies a problem. We should note.
Why is that allegation particularly concerning when it comes to doing this job? Or are the other allegations sexual misconduct, financial misconduct? His advocacy for convicted and suspected war criminals, a bigger liability in your view?
Well, there are so many liabilities. Again, Brianna, it's hard to tell where to start. But one of the things I've been most concerned about, actually the thing that I am the most concerned about, is the message it sends to our men and women, particularly our women.
You know, as we sit here now in the safety of our offices and in the safety of the Capitol, in my case, there are thousands of women downrange in dangerous parts of the world, putting their lives on the line, flying helicopters, in dangerous outposts, risking their lives for us, for our safety, and to nominate a man who said that these women are not qualified and not be should be serving in those roles, is is a disgrace. it's a message that is the wrong message. The send is dangerous, and I will not put up with it, nor should any American for that matter.
And you mentioned that there's other people who could, fulfill this role. There are some names that have been floated as possibilities. Others you've heard them, Ron DeSantis, Florida governor, Joni Ernst, who is meeting with today on the Hill, veteran Senator, what do you think about those?
Well, there are obviously people that I would be more in favor of, of the not. I'm not going to doom anybody who I like by saying their name. I'll I'll put it that way.
So let me let me ask you about that, because Senator Fetterman, and, and other Senator Kelly, they mentioned they would like Ron DeSantis. I mean, do you think that that actually could doom people to suggest that a Democrat likes a possible defense secretary? Pick the, well, this is Donald Trump we're talking about.
I think if any Democrat says that they like somebody probably presumptively they're probably unqualified. maybe I'm wrong there, but that's certainly what my experience would, would tell me. so I'm going to sit this one out, and see what happens.
we just got word that head chef has told Senator or Senator Wicker that he will not drink alcohol if he is confirmed. What do you think about that? It's not, Well, I mean, good for him.
that doesn't change the fact that he's unqualified, that his policies dishonor the women of our military. and his past actions, which I always, in my view, are good indication of future actions, undermine his credibility in the first instance. So.
Fine. I mean, say what he needs to say, but this man should set, no foot with inside the Pentagon. In my view.
I do want to ask you about another one of these, pics. Here you are on house Intel, which is one of several congressional committees with oversight of the FBI. Kash Patel, the pick for FBI director concerning a lot of Democrats and a lot of Republicans as well.
He says that he wants to dismantle the FBI. Is that actually a possibility in in your view? Well, I'm not going to, discount any of Donald Trump's threats.
I think we don't, do ourselves any service by, blowing off any of his threats. I think we should take him seriously. And very clearly, Kash Patel is somebody who is being nominated because he is a loyalist of Donald Trump.
because he has promised that he will attempt to enact retribution and vengeance on Donald Trump's perceived loyalties. That has been his focus. His focus has not been on running the FBI efficiently and effectively to protect America, to protect us against terrorist threats, to protect our institutions and our financial sector from cyber threats.
That does not seem to be his focus, and that should concern everybody. Congressman Jason Crow, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate your time.
