President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is scheduled to meet with Sen. John Fetterman on Thursday, in what will be Hegseth’s first meeting with a Democrat. This meeting comes as Hegseth aims to garner support on Capitol Hill. Prior to this, he met with some Republicans who had been critical of Trump, including Senators Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, and Todd Young, who did not back Trump’s reelection bid.
Senator Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, has shown openness to supporting Trump’s choice for FBI director, Kash Patel, as well as other nominees for key positions. Fetterman mentioned that he doesn't have sufficient information about Patel but acknowledged that Patel is likely to secure the necessary votes for confirmation.
Furthermore, Fetterman recently met with Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the United Nations, and expressed willingness to engage with these nominees due to the anticipated Senate confirmation.
