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The allegation reportedly led to a meeting on Thursday between Hegseth, Trump’s legal team, and Susie Wiles. According to Vanity Fair, the transition team source described the matter as “serious enough” to warrant immediate discussions.
“According to the transition source, the allegation is serious enough that Wiles and Trump’s lawyers spoke to Hegseth about it on Thursday. A source with knowledge of the meeting said that Hegseth said the allegation stemmed from a consensual encounter and characterized the episode as he-said, she-said,” the article noted.
However, Hegseth’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, has strongly denied the allegations. He told Vanity Fair, “This allegation was already investigated by the Monterey police department and they found no evidence for it.”
The Vanity Fair report highlighted disputes within the Trump transition team over Hegseth’s vetting process. Some sources claimed he wasn’t adequately scrutinized before being nominated, while others asserted the allegations never surfaced because they had already been investigated.
“Ahead of the Thursday meeting, one high-level MAGA member familiar with the allegation said Hegseth wasn’t properly scrutinized before Trump made the controversial pick. ‘He wasn’t vetted,’ the source said. But the senior transition source disputed this. ‘Hegseth was vetted, but this alleged incident didn’t come up,’” reported Vanity Fair.
Adding fuel to the fire, leaks suggest that members of Trump’s team are quietly preparing a list of alternative candidates for the Defense Secretary position. While Trump reportedly remains committed to Hegseth, doubts are growing within his circle.
“For now, Donald Trump is reportedly standing by Pete Hegseth, his embattled pick for defense secretary, but some Trump transition officials are beginning to doubt whether the Fox News host can survive the controversy. According to two Republicans close to Trump, the transition team is quietly preparing a list of alternative defense secretary candidates should Trump abandon Hegseth,” wrote Vanity Fair.
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The leaks, described by some as calculated moves to sabotage Hegseth’s nomination, have raised eyebrows. One source quoted by Vanity Fair suggested that insiders are alarmed by Hegseth’s qualifications—or lack thereof.
“There are Republicans with a background in the Defense Department who are privately saying, ‘I’m not working for this guy,’” a prominent Republican close to the transition said.
Hegseth continues to deny the allegations through his legal team, but the damage from the leaks is palpable. Whether this marks the end of his nomination or another chapter in the internal power struggles of Trump’s world remains to be seen.
This latest drama underscores a recurring issue for Trump’s transition team: internal leaks that undermine key decisions. Whether motivated by genuine concerns or political maneuvering, the leaks illustrate a deeper divide within Trump’s team as he prepares for a potential second term.
For supporters of Hegseth, the allegations are nothing more than a smear campaign, but for critics, they represent a major obstacle to his confirmation. The question remains—who within Trump’s circle is driving this, and why?
