Trump makes surprise admission about Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth

Donald Trump is backing his decision to pick Pete Hegseth as his Defense Secretary, despite sexual abuse allegations and concerns about his drinking. 

Hegseth was nominated to run the Pentagon in the wake of Trump's landslide victory in the presidential election last month, but voters have questioned the decision after the slew of claims about former Fox News host's personal life.

But in a surprising admission, Trump acknowledged he was aware of the drama that's surrounded Hegseth since he was put up for the role, but appeared unfazed by the critics. 

'It looks like Pete is doing well now,' Trump told NBC News. 'I mean, people were a bit concerned. He's a young guy, with a tremendous track record actually. 

'He went to Princeton and went to Harvard. He was a good student at both. But he loves the military and I think people are starting to see it so we'll be working on his nomination along with a lot of others.'

While he is viewed as a controversial pick in part due to some of his views, like saying women should not serve in combat roles in the military, more significant accusations emerged over the last two weeks. 

Among them, claims he would routinely drink on the job, a woman accusing Hegseth of sexually assaulting her in October 2017, and a scathing whistleblower report saying he was forced out of leadership roles at two prominent nonprofit advocacy groups after serious allegations of financial mismanagement, sexist behavior, and intoxication on the job. 

The turmoil only worsened when a New York Times report published a 2018 email from Hegseth's mother calling her son an 'abuser of women.'

Ten employees of Fox News, both current and former, said that his drinking worried the network - with two of them noting how Hegseth smelled of alcohol before going on air more than a dozen times.

But the president-elect slammed the 'fake news' and insisted the former Fox News host's support is 'strong and deep' as he battles to get the votes needed for his nomination.

In his NBC interview, Trump maintained confidence in Hegseth's ability for the role. 

'He's a very smart guy. I've known him through Fox, but I've known him for a long time,' Trump said. 

'And he's basically a military guy,' he added. 'Every time I talk to him, all he wants to talk about is the military. He's a military guy.' 

The former president also noted how 'a lot of senators call me up saying he's fantastic', NBC News reported.

When Trump was asked if he had any concerns with Hegseth's struggle with alcohol - which Hegseth has since vowed to cut out if the nomination works out - his short answer was no.

'But I've spoken to people that know him very well and they say he does not have a drinking problem,' Trump responded. 

Trump continued his support online, sharing on Truth Social on Friday night he fully believes Hegseth is a 'winner'. 

'Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe,' he wrote. 

'He was a great student - Princeton/Harvard educated - with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. 

'Pete is a winner, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!' 

A Trump transition spokesperson also called the claims following Hegseth 'completely unfounded and false', NBC News reported Tuesday. 

Along with claims of being intoxicated on the job, a string of reports surrounding sexual harassment imposed by Hegseth himself have casted further doubt on his character.

The woman wgo accused Hegseth of raping her at the Republican women's conference in California in 2017 reported the incident to police - though no charges were ever filed.

During an interview with Megyn Kelly on her show Wednesday, he noted that he thought he 'had to' pay off the woman because he was married and up for a new job - and wanted the allegations to just go away.

The alleged assault was the middle of the #MeToo movement, and Hegseth's lawyer said he was afraid of losing his Fox News position if the allegations got out, so he paid the woman as part of a nondisclosure agreement first reported last month by the Washington Post. 

'I paid her because I had to, or at least I thought I did at the time,' Hegseth detailed.

'She got lawyers that reached out to mine and said, "If you don't come forward, and if you don't pay money, then ultimately we're going to out him." We were in the middle of a #MeToo movement. I had a great job at Fox and a wonderful marriage.'

He continued: 'It's not what I should have done… I did it to protect my wife. I did it to protect my family, and I did it to protect my job, and it was a negotiation purely to try to prevent that.' 

The whistleblower report detailed one particularly egregious incident at a Louisiana strip club, claiming Hegseth attempted to join dancers on stage and needed to be physically restrained.

According to the report, his reckless behavior extended beyond public settings, fostering a workplace rife with sexism and impropriety. 

It was reported Trump considered an 11th hour move to flip out his controversial pick for friend-turned-rival, Ron DeSantis. 

Multiple sources close to the Trump camp told The Wall Street Journal that DeSantis - who ran against Trump in the Republican Primary before dropping out - is the choice to replace Hegseth in his Cabinet. 

But 44-year-old Hegseth has spent the last week meeting with senators and the president-elect on Capitol Hill to convince them that he's the right choice.