Pete Hegseth responds to scandals and criticizes the media: "I expect an honest hearing, not a media trial"

Veteran Pete Hegseth, nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be his next secretary of defense, responded Wednesday to allegations against him about sexual misconduct and alleged alcoholism problems in an opinion column for the Wall Street Journal, where he dismissed the allegations and also questioned the media for running, in his opinion, a smear campaign against him.

In the column, Hegseth described part of his military service and his activism to fight for veterans' rights, explaining his time with organizations such as Vets for Freedom and his motives for entering the political arena.

"We weren’t perfect, but we were always honest and earnest. We raised money honestly and spent it earnestly—to advance our cause. We weren’t political experts, but we were patriotic believers," Hegseth wrote. "Like veterans returning from any war, we drank beers to manage the reality of what we had faced. But we never did anything improper, and we treated everyone with respect. We had a new mission and fought for it."

In the article, Hegseth responded to media accusations that he led Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America, another organization that fights for veterans, as college fraternities.

According to the veteran, while Vets for Freedom had debt problems at one point, the organization paid the money it owed and continued to operate even after it folded. He also highlighted the accomplishments of Concerned Veterans for America in its fight to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system.

"We fought entrenched interests and mobilized veterans and patriotic Americans across the country. We had hundreds of employees and thousands of volunteers—yet based on the anonymous accusations of a few disgruntled employees, the legacy media has made it sound as if we ran a college frat house. That’s just untrue," Hegseth said. He then took aim at the media for questioning his record as a Fox News anchor and also publishing "defamatory" stories about his alleged sexual misconduct.

"The press is peddling anonymous story after anonymous story, all meant to smear me and tear me down," Hegseht said. "It’s a textbook manufactured media takedown. They provide no evidence, no names, and they ignore the legions of people who speak on my behalf. They need to create a bogeyman, because they believe I threaten their institutional insanity. That is the only thing they are right about."

Finally, the veteran urged them to listen to their battle buddies.

"Talk to those who served with me in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Afghanistan or the National Guard. They support me, and I’m honored by that. I have never backed down from a fight and won’t back down from this one. I am grateful President-elect Trump chose me to lead the Defense Department, and I look forward to an honest confirmation hearing with our distinguished senators—not a show trial in the press."

The article by Trump's nominee to lead the Pentagon comes at a time when his nomination is uncertain, amid reports that the president-elect is considering Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to replace him.

However, Hegseth denied in an earlier interview with CBS News that Trump is considering other names and said the president-elect continues to back him.

Specifically, the veteran claimed he spoke with Trump on Wednesday morning, and he reportedly told him to "keep going, keep fighting."

"Why would I back down?" asked Hegseth. "I have always been a fighter. I am here for the war fighters."

Hegseth's candidacy has been complicated in recent weeks, especially after an e-mail was leaked where his mother accused him of being an abuser of women. However, his mother went to the media to say that it was a message sent at a complicated time, that she loves her son, and that she does not believe any accusations against him.