A new report claims that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background check concerning Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. secretary of defense, has been viewed by two senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee and is “unremarkable.”
According to Punchbowl News, the only two members of the Senate Armed Services Committee who have reviewed Hegseth’s FBI file, which was provided to the committee last week, are Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) The outlet noted that Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee who have been briefed on Hegseth’s FBI report claim that the report is “unremarkable.”
Punchbowl News also reported that Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) told reporters last week that she does not expect that other senators will be allowed to review Hegseth’s FBI report prior to his scheduled confirmation hearing.
READ MORE: Our First Endorsement: Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense
Arthur Schwartz, a friend of Donald Trump Jr. and a conservative consultant, shared a screenshot of the Punchbowl News report Monday on X, formerly Twitter. “Pete Hegseth’s FBI background check is ‘unremarkable,’” Schwartz tweeted. “All of the Dems’ hopes and dreams crushed with one word.”
In another post on social media, conservative media personality Jack Posobiec wrote, “Unremarkable. Meaning the debunked Hegseth stories in the media have never been taken seriously by law enforcement.”
According to Punchbowl News, Hegseth is scheduled to face questions as part of a Senate hearing on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
Following Trump’s announcement of Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense, Hegseth was accused by Democrats and mainstream media of engaging in sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement of veteran charity organizations. According to The Post Millennial, Hegseth has also faced criticism over a “Deus Vult” tattoo on his bicep, which translates to “God wills it,” and has faced allegations of drinking too much during his time at Fox News.
Despite the allegations raised by Democrats and the media, Hegseth has continued to receive support from the president-elect, veterans, and other leaders ahead of his confirmation hearing.