Hegseth's defense secretary nomination is in trouble as Trump's team mulls replacements. Here's the latest

 

Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer Rauchet, left, walk through the Russell Senate Office building on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. 

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense is in trouble, a senior Trump transition source told CNN Tuesday evening.

“He has not been forthright with the Transition team staff and the President-elect and Vice President-elect,” the senior Trump transition source said of the reporting about allegations about Hegseth’s behavior involving women and alcohol. “He has hurt a lot of people as a result. He didn’t disclose anything.”

“There are significant concerns more accusations are going to come out from his time at Fox News, about his behavior there, where he had an affair with his now-wife who was his executive producer,” the source said.

As a result of the reports and allegations, Donald Trump’s allies involved in the transition process have been compiling a list of alternative candidates for Secretary of Defense in recent days in the event Hegseth’s road to confirmation appears destined to implode, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

Per sources, the names under consideration include:

• Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
• Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee

CNN has reached out to representatives for Ernst, DeSantis and Hagerty.

People involved in Trump transition planning for the Pentagon started floating other options after the first allegations about Hegseth surfaced, driven in large part by concerns that he could face a similar “math problem” as former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew his name as Trump’s pick for attorney general after facing headwinds in the Senate.

Hegseth and his mom on Fox News: In a sign of how seriously the transition team is taking their concerns, Hegseth is expected to sit for an interview with Fox News today, two people familiar confirmed to CNN. It’s unclear if the interview is scheduled to air today as well.

Separately, Hegseth’s mother is also expected to be interviewed on Fox and Friends today, according to two people.

More context: No Republicans have said they will not support Hegseth, but even some of the GOP senators closest to Trump, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, are now wondering whether Hegseth can survive the tightrope walk to confirmation, sending an ominous signal for the incoming White House. Hegseth will need to limit defections to three GOP senators, assuming all Democrats vote against him, and there are already more than three senators who are uncertain if they’ll back him.

Here are other developments:

• Hillsborough Florida County Sheriff Chad Chronister withdrew his name from consideration to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration.
• The Trump-Vance Transition team has formally entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Justice, according to a statement from Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff. This agreement outlines the terms of cooperation between the transition team and the DOJ, marking a significant step in the preparation of the incoming administration.
• Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will speak to Republican House and Senate members on Thursday afternoon, according to a notice distributed by Speaker Mike Johnson’s office on Tuesday. The meeting — which will center on Trump’s new agency, Department of Government Efficiency — will take place at 3 p.m. ET in the congressional auditorium.