President-elect Donald Trump is considering selecting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as his pick for defense secretary to replace embattled former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, three sources familiar with the transition told CBS News on Tuesday night.
This comes after Trump and DeSantis attended a memorial for fallen law enforcement officers Tuesday in Florida.
The Wall Street Journal was first to report this story.
On Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning, Hegseth told CBS News that he does not intend to withdraw his name from consideration. Hegseth said he spoke with Trump Wednesday morning and Trump told him to keep going.
“I spoke to the president-elect this morning. He said, ‘Keep going, keep fighting. I’m behind you all the way,'” Hegseth said. “Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter. I’m here for the fighters. This is personal and passionate for me.”
