Hegseth endures harsh media onslaught as Hagerty predicts successful confirmation

President-elect Donald Trump shocked the nation earlier this month when he announced that now-former Fox News host Pete Hegseth was his choice to lead the Department of Defense.

The establishment media and their allies in Congress immediately went on the attack and dredged up an alleged sexual misconduct situation involving Hegseth, one for which he was ultimately acquitted of wrongdoing.

According to ABC News, Trump has not yet elected to use the FBI to conduct background checks on potential Cabinet members, and one top Republican senator recently told the outlet that the American people do not care who does the background checks, only that the job gets done and gets done right.

Hegseth has, so far, survived the onslaught of attacks in the left's attempt to knock him out of contention, unlike former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who ultimately bowed out of his potential position as Trump's attorney general after his own controversies proved to be too much of a distraction.

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) told ABC News, in no uncertain terms, that Hegseth's background check would not make much of a difference and that Trump wants his Cabinet choices to be confirmed in a swift manner.

"Don't let these allegations distract us. What we need is real significant change. The Pentagon has been more focused on pronouns than they have lethality the past four years. We need to get back to business, and I think Pete is just the person to do it," Hagerty said.

The Tennessee Republican contrasted the expectations and outcomes of Trump's prospective Cabinet members from those of individuals tapped by the Biden administration, one which hesitated greatly to fire anyone or hold top people accountable for their conduct.

ABC News noted:

Name-checking Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for the bloody withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Hagerty said, “They've not been held to account.”

"President Trump will fire people that don't do their job well. I fully expect everybody coming into the Cabinet will listen to President Trump. They'll let him set the policy, and they'll execute according to that plan," Hagerty said.

Trump proved during his first term in the White House that he's not even remotely afraid to fire members of his administration who aren't cutting it, and Hagerty expects it'll be the same this time around.

During the interview, Hagerty said Trump "clearly expects to hit the ground running" and "wants us to have these hearings done quickly and expeditiously."

Talk of the possibility of recess appointments was also mentioned, though Hagerty didn't get into specifics on whether or not he thinks Trump will take that route.

However, Hagerty did say that he supports the use of recess appointments, which gives Trump the power to make appointments while Congress is on recess.

"I haven't spoken with President Trump about the specific plans. What he wants to do is see these appointments made quickly. He wants to see us get through the confirmation process. And again, I think everything should be on the table," the Republican senator said.