Another blow has landed on the legacy media's narrative that President-elect Donald Trump wants to replace his Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, or even more D.C. swamp: IA Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. 

In a video posted to X, Hegseth told a correspondent that he had spoken to President-elect Trump just that morning. From Hegseth's telling, Trump's words to him did not reflect either regret or resignation over this confirmation fight. Our sister site Townhall previewed this video. In typical corporate media fashion, the correspondent asking the questions leads with the reporting that President-elect Trump is considering replacing him with DeSantis as though it is established truth.

WATCH:

Pete Hegseth says he spoke to Trump this morning and that Trump told him to “keep going” and “keep fighting.” pic.twitter.com/ZttPT259KY

— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) December 4, 2024

CORRESPONDENT: Have you had any conversations with the President-elect? 

HEGSETH: I spoke to the President-elect this morning, he said, "Keep going, keep fighting, I'm behind you all the way."

CORRESPONDENT: So you're in this all the way?

HEGSETH: Why would I back down? I've always been a fighter, I'm here for the war fighters. It's a personal passion for me. 

CORRESPONDENT: You're not withdrawing your name from consideration, just to be clear?

HEGSETH: I'm meeting all day with Senators.

Hegseth expressed his commitment to fight for the "war fighters" in X post earlier on Wednesday.

I’m doing this for the warfighters, not the warmongers.

The Left is afraid of disrupters and change agents. They are afraid of @realDonaldTrump—and me. So they smear w/ fake, anonymous sources & BS stories. They don’t want truth.

Our warriors never back down, & neither will I. pic.twitter.com/nDQ5aUlv7i

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) December 4, 2024

I’m doing this for the warfighters, not the warmongers. 

The Left is afraid of disrupters and change agents. They are afraid of @realDonaldTrump—and me. So they smear w/ fake, anonymous sources & BS stories. They don’t want truth. 

Our warriors never back down, & neither will I.

Hegseth and his wife have spent the past few days pressing the flesh and working the halls of the Senate chambers. The high drama surrounding a weekend and week of a focused campaign to derail his nomination continues apace with allegations of drunkenness by anonymous former and current Fox News employees, accusations of sexual impropriety, and exposure of past strained family relationships. This is what Hegseth is working against as he shores up prior support and seeks to convince uncommitted or opposed senators that he is indeed the right choice for Defense Secretary.

Hegseth's mother Penelope appeared Wednesday morning on Fox & Friends to defend her son, encourage the Senate's support of his nomination, and decry the legacy media's tactics used against him. How all this will affect Senators' votes on Hegseth's nomination remains to be seen, but at the present moment, President-elect Trump appears to be in his corner and not backing down.