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As Pete Hegseth sinks, the Florida governor and his anti-LGBTQ+ record may fill the void.
Will Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis quit his job to be President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense?
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As Pete Hegseth, Trump’s first choice for the job, faces growing criticism forsexual misconduct allegations, the incoming President may dump his nominee and instead put Gov. Ron DeSantis up for the job, according to The Wall Street Journal. Other outlets have since confirmed the reporting.
The news broke hours after Trumpattended a South Florida funeral for three fallen sheriff’s deputies in Palm Beach County in Florida. The reports also fueled questions of Hegseth as he met with senators about upcoming confirmation hearings and told press Trump encouraged him to “keep fighting” but declined to answer if he will withdraw his name from consideration.
The situation remains uncertain, not least because DeSantis and Trump appeared to have a strained relationship after the Florida Governor challenged the ex-President for the Republican nomination unsuccessfully earlier this year. Becoming Defense Secretary would be consequential, requiring DeSantis to resign as Governor two years ahead of the end of his term.
But his nomination could also prove consequential to transgender service members in the military. Already, Department of Defense sources havetold media outlets they expect Trump to reinstate atransgender military ban, as he ordered during his first White House term.
But tapping DeSantis to head the Defense Department would install a politician with alengthy record attacking transgender rights. That includes signing atransgender sports ban and the nation’sfirst “don’t say gay or trans” law, and even hasthreatened to charge trans Floridians with a gender different than their birth certificate with fraud.
He has also outlaweddiversion, equity and inclusion programs in Florida’s public colleges and universities, a portend of how he might handle DEI efforts in the U.S. military. Republicans have increasingly criticized diversity training in America's armed services. Trump has piled onto that, including with ads specificallyattacking LGBTQ+ inclusion in the military.
