“President-elect Donald Trump, a lifelong teetotaler whose brother struggled with alcoholism and died at 42, was shaken by reports about a history of heavy drinking by his choice to lead the Pentagon, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth,” the Washington Post reports.
“Trump’s response was to encourage Hegseth, who has said he has never had a drinking problem, to fight for his job. Trump instructed aides to defend Hegseth, activating his campaign’s rapid-response apparatus and encouraging surrogates to publicly show support. Allies have threatened primary challenges for senators who oppose his picks, and a group funded by billionaire Elon Musk released an ad pressuring senators to back Hegseth.”
“But Trump has held back on pushing hard himself, according to advisers who, like many of the more than a dozen figures interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to relate private conversations.”
