Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday morning that he has no intention of withdrawing from consideration following a conversation he had earlier in the day with President-elect Donald Trump.

“I spoke to the President-elect this morning. He said keep going, keep fighting, find your own way,” Hegseth told reporters.

Asked about withdrawing his name, the combat veteran responded, “Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter. I’m here for the warfighters. This is personal and passionate for me.”

WATCH:

SECDEF nom Pete Hegseth says he spoke to Trump Wednesday morning and that Trump encouraged him to keep going amid s*x allegations.

"I spoke to the President-elect this morning. He said keep going, keep fighting… Why would I back down? I've always been a fighter." pic.twitter.com/flX1ccEhyM

— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) December 4, 2024

Hegseth’s former colleagues at Fox News came to his defense on Tuesday evening after an NBC News report fueled by anonymous sources claimed Hegseth was routinely drunk on air.

Fox News’ Will Cain, co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” responded to the NBC article, “Your story is horses*** @NBCNews. Put my name on it. On the record. It’ll be your only on the record source. Signed, The guy who sat next to him for 8 hours every week for five years starting at 6 am.”

Hegseth’s other former “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host, Rachel Campos-Duffy, issued a similar response. “The losers at @NBCNews never reached out to me either. @willcain is right – your story IS  horses***,” she wrote. “You now have 2 people who sat next to him 8+ hours a week on the record. Will you retract or correct your story?”

Last month, allegations surfaced that Pete Hegseth was accused of sexual assault in 2017. An unnamed woman claimed Hegseth assaulted her in a hotel room after a conservative conference. Hegseth has stated that the encounter was consensual, and law enforcement ultimately decided not to pursue further action.

“It’s very simple,” Hegseth told the press. “The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared, and that’s where I’m gonna leave it.”

Journalist and attorney Megyn Kelly reviewed the police report on her show, describing the accusation against Pete Hegseth as “bulls***.” She suggested that the accuser “was not raped” but may have panicked after her husband grew suspicious of an affair with Hegseth.

Meanwhile, reports emerged Tuesday evening indicating that President-elect Trump is considering Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis as a potential replacement nominee for Secretary of Defense. Since then, however, members of Trump World have pushed back on those reports.