CNN
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Pete Hegseth’s bid to lead the Pentagon is in limbo as he bitterly fights allegations of drinking and sexual misconduct and is unsure whether President-elect Donald Trump truly has his back.

A top Trump transition source had described Wednesday as “absolutely critical” for the former Fox News host’s confirmation hopes. And Hegseth threw himself into the task, meeting Republican senators, offering to quit drinking if he was confirmed, and providing a fiery rearguard on the Megyn Kelly radio show and in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal.

Still, his situation on Thursday morning appears to be just as dire as it was 24 hours earlier.

But Sen. Josh Hawley summed up the doubts about the Hegseth selection when he said he didn’t know whether the selection should be withdrawn. The Missouri Republican said he would support whoever Trump wants in his Cabinet, but added: “It’s not 100 percent clear at this point who he wants as defense secretary.”

Hegseth, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran, can afford to lose no more than three Republican senators and still be confirmed in the Senate, assuming all Democrats vote against it. Therefore, his window was narrow from the start. And uncertainty about how much political capital Trump is willing to spend on his confirmation is hardly helping matters.

But Senator Markwayne Mullin said he had spoken to both Trump and Hegseth and that the president-elect was still committed to his choice.

“They’re both still in the fight,” the Oklahoma Republican told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source.”

“President Trump has told me personally that he wants Pete to be confirmed, and I think there’s a … way to get there. “It may be a little close, but I believe we can confirm him,” he added.

The reluctance of some senators to rally full public support for Hegseth may indicate that while they would prefer not to break prematurely with the president-elect, they may also be interested in avoiding a hearing, which could become a public circus at this point of inauguration.

One of Hegseth’s meetings on Wednesday was with West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who said she addressed his “personal issues” and that their conversation went well. However, she said she has not yet decided whether she will vote for his confirmation.

The increasing talk of Ernst and DeSantis as possible successors could also be bad news for Hegseth, as some senators are likely to view the Iowa senator and Florida governor as potentially superior defense secretaries. Several Republican senators have told reporters that they hold Ernst in high regard. And she and DeSantis would have a far clearer path to confirmation than Hegseth. Still, it’s not clear whether Ernst would fit into Trump’s vision of an ultra-loyalist who would do whatever he wanted at the Pentagon, or whether the president-elect would be willing to promote a former chief rival with whom he exchanged sharp words.

Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal may not be an uninterested observer, but he suggested Wednesday that Hegseth’s nomination is already doomed. “I’ve talked to five to 10 Republicans who have told me they’re just waiting for the right moment to say no to Pete Hegseth,” Blumenthal, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, told reporters.

Among the issues marring Hegseth’s candidacy is a 2017 sexual assault allegation that he has denied, saying the encounter was consensual and no charges were filed against him.

The issue of Hegseth’s drinking, which could be a concern given the defense secretary’s grave responsibilities, was underscored over the weekend by a New Yorker report on his tenure as head of veterans advocacy groups. Other reports have also surfaced about Hegseth’s behavior during his employment at Fox News.

On Kelly’s radio show, he addressed reports of excessive drinking, complained that many of the allegations were made anonymously and suggested that some people at the Pentagon didn’t want him to get the job. “I never had a drinking problem. I don’t – no one has ever come up to me and said, ‘Oh, you should really think about getting help,'” Hegseth told Kelly. He said that, like other servicemen returning from wars, he drank a few beers. “You know, how do you deal with the demons you saw on the battlefield? Sometimes it’s with a bottle.” But he said his wife Jennifer and embracing Christianity saved his life and that he has now changed. Additionally, Hegseth said he would treat his job as defense secretary as if he were being sent to a war zone where alcohol is not allowed. “This is the biggest commitment of my life and I won’t have a drop of alcohol on my lips.”

Hegseth’s vow of temperance was welcomed by North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, one of several Republican senators who said Trump’s nominee would have to answer questions about the allegations against him. “The drinking thing is a pretty significant issue, whether you have a problem or don’t have a problem, whether you think you have a problem or whether you think you don’t have a problem,” Cramer said. “And he said, ‘My commitment is not to touch alcohol while I hold this position.'” Given that commitment, Cramer said he would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and bring Hegseth before the Armed Services Committee, signaling that he might be willing to eventually support his confirmation.

Hegseth’s chances depend on winning over more senators like Cramer, which may require containing tensions surrounding his candidacy. Any new allegations against him could cast even more doubt on his prospects. And while he says he has Trump’s support now, there’s no guarantee he can keep it if he becomes even more of a distraction from the president-elect’s efforts to supplement his administration.

Ironically, any new revelations about some of Trump’s other provocative choices – like Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence or Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services – could help Hegseth return to the shadows support his ambitions. Gabbard and Kennedy have so far largely avoided the scrutiny faced by Hegseth and Trump’s short-lived first pick for attorney general, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.

The president-elect is notoriously prone to changing his mind about candidates — one reason why conversations about his interest in DeSantis for the defense job should be approached with appropriate caution.

Still, sources told CNN that the Florida governor and former U.S. military attorney would be interested in the job if asked. At first glance, DeSantis would be a popular choice among Republicans, and he has the experience of running a massive government in Florida that could prepare him for the job of running the Pentagon bureaucracy. DeSantis also has the kind of culture war credentials that Trump wants for the Pentagon; For example, he built his political brand in part on attacks on diversity and inclusion programs.

Swapping Florida for the Pentagon in Virginia could make political sense for DeSantis, as it would give him important national security experience that could boost any future presidential campaign. If selected, it would form an intriguing triumvirate of at least three potential future primary opponents in the Trump administration — along with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Secretary of State-elect Marco Rubio.

Still, DeSantis spoke harshly about Trump during their primary debate and was particularly harsh about the president-elect’s refusal to attend Republican debates. He suggested that Trump had “lost the zipper” on his “fastball” and said he would implement the MAGA guidelines far more effectively. Unlike Rubio, who had eight years to drown out his criticism of Trump with praise during the campaign, DeSantis’ insults may be far fresher in the president-elect’s mind.