Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., plans to vote in favor of confirming Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon.
Capito, who was previously undecided on her vote, said information that emerged during Hegseth’s hearing before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this week helped her make up her mind.
“I will be voting for Pete Hegseth,” Capito said Thursday during her weekly press briefing. “I think his vision for the Department of Defense is very clear — he wants a war-fighting posture with recruiting.”
Hegseth is a former Fox News contributor.
He faces allegations of sexual assault, has made comments questioning whether women should be allowed to serve in combat roles and has been accused of abusing alcohol in professional settings.
Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer who served in Iraq, has no prior experience serving in government.
As secretary of the Department of Defense, Hegseth would be tasked with running the largest agency in the federal government, one with more than 2.8 million civilian and military employees and an annual budget of more than $840 billion.
Justice said he didn’t know the “play-by-play” and “all the specifics” regarding the allegations against Hegseth.
“I know he’s got some tough stuff in his closet and everything, but really and truly, I’m telling you, Pete is a good man,” the governor said. “I know him. I know him well. He’s a patriot through and through, and I hope he gets across the finish line.”
Hegseth is “truly, truly qualified,” Justice said.
“He’s a good guy,” the governor said. “I don’t know of all of the antics and everything.”