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Betting markets have President-Elect Donald Trump's pick for Defense Secretary with only a 25 percent chance of withdrawing his nomination by Friday December 6.
Pete Hegseth has come under increasing scrutiny in recent days as more news surfaces regarding his pre-nomination life, most of it not good.
The odds hadn't shifted much in the wake of news that the Trump team signed off to allow the Justice to conduct background checks on nominees and staff, Hegseth included.
The step lets Trump transition aides and future administration staffers obtain security clearances before Inauguration Day to access classified information about ongoing government programs, an essential step for a smooth transiton of power. It also allows those nominees who are up for Senate confirmation to face the background checks lawmakers want before voting on them.
Teams of investigators have been standing by to process clearances for Trump aides and advisers.
“This agreement with the Department of Justice will ensure President Trump and his team are ready on Day 1 to begin enacting the America First Agenda that an overwhelming majority of our nation supported on Election Day,” said Susie Wiles, Trump’s designate to be White House chief of staff.
More damning news began breaking on Tuesday former Fox News colleagues told NBC News they were concerned over Hegseth's alleged drinking while on the job. Hegseth served as an on-air host prior to being selected by Trump.
Sources told NBC News Hegseth drank in ways that concerned his colleagues. Ten current and former employees of the network spoke to NBC News.
Two of those people said that on more than a dozen occasions during Hegseth’s time as a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” which began in 2017, they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air. Those same two people, plus another, said that during his time there he appeared on television after they’d heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set.
One of the sources said they smelled alcohol on him as recently as last month and heard him complain about being hungover this fall.
Hegseth has denied much of the allegations lodged against him.
NBC News also reports that as many as six GOP senators aren't currently comfortable supporting Hegseth's nomination.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who is on the Armed Services Committee, would not commit to support Hegseth's nomination and said she planned to grill him about news accounts of allegations of alcohol abuse, mistreatment of woman and financial mismanagement.
“We’re just going to have a really frank and thorough conversation,” Ernst said.
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