This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the nation's new defense secretary, following a concerted Democrat and media narrative that has claimed Trump's first pick, Pete Hegseth, may have a drinking problem.
It was NBC News that claimed "two sources" identified DeSantis as a possible nominee, following a report on the issue by the Wall Street Journal.
The network said, "Other possible contenders for the Pentagon top job include Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., according to two sources familiar with the decision-making. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., whom Trump had chosen for White House national security adviser, is also a possible pick for leading the Pentagon, two other sources said."
The narrative that was unleashed following Trump's pick of Hegseth has included various stories about his drinking and a "sexual assault" in 2017 for which he was not charged.
Hegseth has denied he mistreated women and explained the incident involving the woman who accused him was a consensual event.
Hegseth, on social media, has cited the "smear" campaign based on "fake" and "anonymous" sources.
"Our warriors will never back down, & neither will I," he said.
He repeated his assertion Wednesday morning:
It was Twitchy that called out Democrats and the media for their leftist attacks.
"Hegseth has been in the crosshairs of the left since President-Elect Trump nominated him to lead the Department of Defense. First, they said he was unqualified, completely ignoring his Ivy League education and decorated military service. Then they tried to 'Kavanaugh' him with a 2017 accusation of sexual assault, which was investigated by police at the time. No charges were filed. They accused him of being a white supremacist because he had tattoos or something. Most recently, The New Yorker ran a hit piece claiming Hegseth was commonly intoxicated on the job while he worked for Concerned Vets for America. Senator Dick Blumenthal was quick to pounce on the story."
Now, the report said, "NBC has doubled down on The New Yorker article with claims from Fox News employees."
There were those who apparently were being swayed by the claims.
There were defenders, too.
