President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as defense secretary, according to the Wall Street Journal .
DeSantis, a former presidential rival of Trump, is reportedly being considered to potentially replace Fox News host Pete Hegseth. This comes after Trump and DeSantis attended a memorial for fallen Palm Beach County deputies on Tuesday in Florida.
According to reports, Hegseth's nomination has run into some turbulence after allegations about his mistreatment of women.
CBS reports that Hegseth has faced a round of negative stories involving allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement at veterans' charities, repeated intoxication and infidelity.
If Trump were to select DeSantis, it would certainly be a surprising turn of events as the Florida governor ran a GOP presidential primary bid against the president-elect, and the two spewed insults back-and-forth during the campaign.
DeSantis has a well-known background serving in the military. DeSantis was commissioned into the U.S. Navy as a JAG officer while attending Harvard Law School. He later served in Iraq, for which he was awarded a Bronze Star.
On Monday, The New Yorker reported that Hegseth was forced to step down from multiple veteran nonprofit groups, Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America, following accusations of financial mismanagement, sexist behavior and other disqualifying behavior.
According to reports, at least four Republican senators would likely vote against Hegseth if they voted today. Republicans are expected to have a 53-seat majority in the Senate, which must confirm cabinet positions.
Losing four Republican votes, along with all Democratic votes, would hinder Hegseth's chances of nomination.
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