WSJ Editorial Board Pushes Trump To Dump Hegseth

From the Wall Street Journal editorial board:

So far President-elect Trump is standing by his choice of Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, despite the disclosure that Mr. Hegseth paid a woman in 2020 to settle an allegation of sexual assault in 2017. Press reports say the accusation took Mr. Trump’s transition team by “surprise,” which might be a lesson about picking unvetted cabinet secretaries on a whim.

Mr. Hegseth denies wrongdoing. But the Senators holding confirmation hearings next year also might inquire about what, if anything, he told Mr. Trump’s transition team regarding the woman’s claim and the legal settlement.

Whoever leads the Pentagon needs to have the President’s trust. If Mr. Trump wasn’t informed about this political liability before announcing the nomination, he might reasonably wonder what else Mr. Hegseth hasn’t told him. The Senate will have further questions, and nominations impulsively made can also be withdrawn.

Read the full editorial.