DeSantis To Attend Army-Navy Football Game With Trump Amid Cabinet Speculation

President-elect Donald Trump is set to attend the annual Army-Navy college football game next week in Andover, Maryland, accompanied by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, sparking speculation about DeSantis’s potential role in the upcoming administration.

“NEW: Florida Governor @RonDeSantis will attend the Army-Navy football game with President Elect @realDonaldTrump next Saturday, per source familiar with DeSantis’ schedule,” Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin shared on X.

According to The New York Times, Trump has been contemplating replacing Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth with DeSantis. The speculation comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Hegseth over allegations of sexual misconduct and other controversies, which he has categorically denied.

“Mr. Trump has told people close to him that he likes the idea of giving Mr. DeSantis the job, saying it would be a ‘big story’ if he resurrected Mr. DeSantis after defeating him,” the Times reported. “The president-elect has also praised Mr. DeSantis’s ability to run the state of Florida, where Mr. Trump lives, and has mentioned that he is ‘a Navy guy.’”

The report further noted that Trump has considered other candidates, including Florida Congressman Michael Waltz, his pick for national security adviser. “Mr. Trump has privately mentioned Michael Waltz as another option, pointing out that he would be easily confirmed by the Senate. But people close to Mr. Trump believe that Mr. DeSantis is his favored alternative at this moment if he decides to abandon Mr. Hegseth.”

Despite this, Trump has publicly reaffirmed his commitment to Hegseth. On Truth Social, he wrote, “Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe. He was a great student – Princeton/Harvard educated – with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!”

Vice President-elect JD Vance also showed his support for Hegseth in an X statement, sharing a screenshot of Trump’s message. “Led by President Trump, we’re fighting for Pete Hegseth. And we’re doing so because Pete Hegseth will fight for our troops. For too long, the Pentagon has been led by people who lose wars. Pete Hegseth is a man who fought in those wars. We’ve got his back.”

Hegseth, during an interview with SiriusXM podcaster Megyn Kelly, dismissed the allegations against him as politically motivated attacks akin to those faced by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “It is the classic art of the smear,” Hegseth said. “Take whatever tiny kernels of truth — and there are tiny, tiny ones in there — and blow them up into a masquerade of a narrative about somebody that I am definitely not.” He assured Kelly that, if confirmed, he would abstain from alcohol while serving as Secretary of Defense.

In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Hegseth expressed confidence in the confirmation process, writing, “I look forward to an honest confirmation hearing with our distinguished senators — not a show trial in the press.”

Earlier in the week, Hegseth dismissed suggestions he might withdraw his nomination during a brief interview in Congress. “Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter,” he said.