Three of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees have faced serious allegations of sexual misconduct and are already considering their professional qualifications when deciding whether to align with their party leader for key government positions. That complicates the calculations for Republican senators.
His pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), is accused of having sex with a 17-year-old girl and paying two other women for sex. Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, has been accused of sexual assault. And his pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was accused this summer of molesting a former family babysitter.
Mr. Gates and Mr. Hegseth deny the charges. Kennedy responded to the doubts about him over the summer by saying, “I said in my announcement speech that I had so many skeletons in my closet that if everyone could vote, I could run for King of the World.” NBC News reported that he apologized to the woman via text message this year.
Trump himself has faced various allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies, but last year he was accused of sexual abuse in a civil trial over an alleged incident in the 1990s. He was convicted of a crime, which he also denies. Now, after assuming the presidency again, he is spending his early political capital to confirm appointees who have faced allegations of his own sexual misconduct.
“I think it’s smart politics for the president to pick a fight with Congress. He’s a change agent sent in by the people to cause chaos, and there are few institutions people hate more than Congress. But Matt Gaetz When he wants to fight over something, he downplays the message,” said Marc Short, an NBC News contributor and former chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence.
“For the past few decades, we have not publicized payments to nannies as disqualifying, and here we are. People around the president want to see him move beyond the bad news cycle. I think you know that,” Short added.
Doubts about President Trump’s election
Gates’ long-running controversy is back in the spotlight now that he’s running for a Cabinet post. One of Gates’ former colleagues pled guilty to charges including sex trafficking of minors, but the Justice Department closed its sex trafficking investigation against Gates, and Gates was elected President Trump. He later resigned from Congress and was not charged with any crime. Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee’s investigation had been ongoing since before he resigned.
Some details of the investigation have been revealed. Attorneys representing two women who testified before the Ethics Committee on Monday told NBC News that Gates had sexually assaulted the women on several occasions, including at a small invite-only party in Florida. He said he paid the price. The lawyer also said that a woman witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old friend, but that Gaetz did not realize she was a minor and that he did not “sex her” until she was a legal adult. He added that he believed he had ended their relationship.
Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, but he has denied the charges through his lawyer, saying the encounter was consensual and the two have entered into a “confidential civil settlement agreement.” said. [even as Hegseth] claims innocence. ”
NBC News has not independently reviewed the memo that The Washington Post reported was sent to Trump’s transition team by a friend of the accuser. Mr Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, confirmed it was related to the encounter.
Here are five things to know about Pete Hegseth.
And this year, Vanity Fair published a lengthy profile of Kennedy, including a conversation with one of the family’s former nannies, who said Kennedy groped her. Asked about the allegations on a podcast this summer, Kennedy dismissed them by saying, “I’m not a church boy.”
Short pointed to the difficult political cross-pressures Republican senators will face, especially ahead of a Gaetz confirmation vote. Some Republican senators have agreed they want to see the House Ethics Committee’s report on Gaetz, but no one has ruled out voting for him.
Republican senators seeking re-election in 2026 are “in a very tough position. They fear that if they oppose President Trump’s nominee, he will help support his primary opponent.” Because there is.” But if they support someone like Matt Gaetz, it will almost certainly make the general election even more difficult. You’re in a catch-22 situation,” Short said.
As Trump’s picks face scrutiny, several Cabinet nominees in the past few decades have been forced to leave their seats over accusations of hiring undocumented domestic workers, including those in the Bill Clinton administration and This includes several from the George H.W. Some have financial problems or have been accused of personal or professional wrongdoing.
Trump’s past elections were not unrelated.
In 2017, President Trump’s Labor Secretary nominee, Andy Puzder, faced scrutiny over his business history, concerns about his employment of undocumented domestic workers, and a leaked video of his ex-wife accusing him of domestic violence. In the background, he withdrew from the approval battle. Puzder said he did not know the employee was an illegal immigrant, and a spokesperson told Politico at the time that his ex-wife’s statement was a “retraction of a 30-year-old allegation.”
In 2018, Trump’s acting defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, withdrew from consideration to lead the Pentagon permanently after the Post reported on a domestic violence incident involving a member of Trump’s family. (Shanahan claimed the report painted an “incomplete and misleading” picture of the incident.)
Also that year, Dr. Ronnie Jackson, then a White House physician and later a member of Congress, withdrew his name from being considered for the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs amid allegations of professional misconduct. (Mr. Jackson called the claim “completely false and fabricated.”)
Then, in late 2018, President Trump directly appealed to young people in an attempt to discredit sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, an allegation Kavanaugh denied. Mr. Kavanaugh’s presence has been confirmed.
“It’s a very frightening time for young Americans to be guilty of something they may not be guilty of,” Trump told reporters.
“You could have been perfect all your life and someone could accuse you of something,” he said.
Trump stands by his choice
Now, Team Trump is backing their choice and ramping up efforts on Capitol Hill ahead of next year’s confirmation hearings.
Transition officials told NBC News that when Trump first called Gaetz to inform him of his plans to nominate him as attorney general, Gaetz told Trump, “Everything will be an uphill battle.” “I guess so,” he said. The official added that Trump responded that this is a battle he wants to fight, and said Trump himself has called Republican senators.
Another transition official noted the potential difficulty in getting some of Trump’s controversial nominees approved, saying, “The president wants to incorporate these nominees into his administration.” “I know it’s difficult, but we just won an unprecedented election,” President Trump said, “I want to get this done.” I think we will do it,” he said.
President Trump briefly told reporters Wednesday that he had no intention of reconsidering Gaetz’s nomination. And Vice President-elect J.D. Vance visited the Capitol this week to arrange a meeting with key Republican senators, Gaetz and Hegseth, according to people familiar with the plan.
Matt Gaetz worked at a private law firm before running for public office.
Asked about the nature of the allegations against Gaetz, Hegseth and Kennedy, and whether there were concerns that would complicate their confirmation, incoming White House press secretary and Trump Vance transition press secretary Caroline Leavitt said: In a statement, Trump’s election said: It was “a big mandate from the American people to change the status quo in Washington. That’s why he chose brilliant, highly respected outsiders to be part of his administration.”
“He will continue to support MAGA as they fight all those who seek to derail their policies,” Levitt added.
Contributions were made by Jake Traylor, Garrett Haak, Hallie Jackson, Alex Tabet, and Olympia Sonnier.
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