Dozens of prominent veterans sign letter backing Hegseth’s ‘outstanding’ appointment amid controversy

INTERMEDIATE: A growing number of prominent veterans have signed an open letter endorsing Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth as he battles allegations that could derail his confirmation.

The Heritage Foundation collected signatures on Thursday and gained more than 74 in that short time, a foundation official told Fox News Digital.

“As military veterans and patriotic Americans, we are thrilled to see a distinguished veteran nominated to lead the Department of Defense,” the letter begins.

“Hegseth is a decorated military veteran who served as a Marine Corps officer in the National Army, deployed overseas to combat locations in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars and the Combat Infantryman Badge.”

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Veterans say Hegseth has “worked tirelessly” to support the US military and that his experience and drive will lead him to rebuild the military back into a “fighting force … capable of protecting the national security interests of the American people.”

They cited Hegseth’s long-standing stance on “depoliticizing” the military and his opposition to “DEI”-style policies and other “toxic ideas” they say have been promoted in the military in recent years.

“The end of the wake is just the beginning. The Pentagon is also full of bureaucracy and waste. The defense industry is failing to deliver,” the veterans wrote.

“Cost overruns and delays have become the norm. The Department of Defense needs a Secretary of Defense who is willing to confront both the entrenched leadership and the defense industry and force them to deliver the ships, planes, and weapons our military needs to take on America’s enemies.”

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Dan Caldwell is a veteran of the Marine Corps and Camp David security forces who, along with his fellow advisor at the Center for Renewing America, three-time Marine Joseph Wade Miller, signed the letter.

They join at least 40 other prominent veterans in supporting Hegseth’s nomination, as the former “Fox & Friends Weekend” host faces allegations of alcohol abuse and mistreatment of women.

Eddie Gallagher, of the Pipe Hitters Foundation, also signed the letter. Gallagher launched a non-profit organization focused on veteran defense after being acquitted of war crimes.

James Jay Carafano, Rob Greenway, Wilson Beaver, Steve Bucci and Jeremy Hayes, all decorated military veterans who are advisors, or colleagues at the Heritage Foundation, signed the petition.

The letter also calls out the previous administration’s inability to secure the southern border and restore peace in Eurasia.

“Pete Hegseth shares these priorities and is ready to execute the Commander-in-Chief’s agenda on day one. As proud American veterans, we stand with him and the President in this historic effort,” he wrote.

Kevin Roberts, president of Heritage, called Hegseth “the right kind of American fighter” and someone ready to “clean up” the Pentagon.

“At a time when stop-and-go programs are derailing our military’s war-fighting mission, we need a secretary like Pete who has served in the military and represented veterans on Capitol Hill,” Roberts said separately from the letter.

Victoria Coates, former national security adviser to both Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Hegseth would be “a real breath of fresh air in the muddy halls of the Pentagon.”

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Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary, attends a meeting with Sen. Ted Budd, RN.C., in the Russell Senate office building on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ -Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) (Tom Williams)

On Thursday, Hegseth said he refused to withdraw from the fight as his candidacy is still in doubt due to allegations of drinking and sex. He denied doing anything wrong.

“We had great conversations, about who I am and what I believe,” Hegseth said of his meetings with senators. “And, obviously, the man I am today, because of my faith in my Lord and savior Jesus Christ and my wife, Jenny, right here, I am a different man than I was years ago.

That interview followed the leak of a sensitive letter Hegseth’s mother, Penelope, wrote to him years ago about his relationships with women. However, Penelope Hegseth told Fox News on Wednesday that she wrote the email in a fit of rage and later apologized for it.

Multiple sources reported to Fox News that Trump is considering his opponent, Gov. of Florida Ron DeSantis – a retired Navy commander – for the top Pentagon post in the event of Hegseth’s failure.

Louis Casiano of Fox News contributed to this report.