WATCH: Geraldo Rivera Stuns CNN Panel, Endorses Trump Cabinet Nominee

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s embattled nominee for defense secretary, has been scrutinized for his record and newly surfaced controversies. On Tuesday, Trump’s Cabinet nominees returned to Capitol Hill, seeking to solidify support from Republican senators as confirmation hearings for key positions loom.

Hegseth’s nomination took an unexpected turn during a CNN panel discussion when veteran broadcaster Geraldo Rivera made a striking endorsement of Hegseth, drawing attention to his military credentials and leadership. The moment came as Rivera, a longtime Fox News personality and former colleague of Hegseth’s, weighed in on the ongoing scrutiny.

“I know Pete, Major Pete, I call him, pretty well,” Rivera said at the outset. “Being on Fox & Friends weekend for those many years, sitting on the couch with him, sharing the couch, been out with him. I thought, as Scott mentions, that he was on the ropes for a lot of the stuff coming up.”

Rivera’s comments referenced concerns over non-disclosures and controversies that emerged during Hegseth’s confirmation process, some of which had been previously unknown to the public. However, Rivera shifted the narrative by highlighting what he called Hegseth’s defining moment: a public show of support from his fellow combat veterans.

“But then Pete did something, Major Pete did something that I think is the difference between a combat veteran and the rest of the world,” Rivera continued. “What Pete did was go to his combat brothers, and it was they who started speaking out on his behalf, talking about his courage, talking about how he never allowed his men to get in front of him in a hot zone.”

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“I think that’s what the Defense Department needs. That’s what the Pentagon needs,” Rivera said. “And I think that realization swept subtly, but I think with growing momentum, through Washington, D.C., that if you haven’t served the country in combat, then shut up. Or, you know, you better respect the people who have.”

Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been a vocal advocate for veterans’ issues and a frequent commentator on military and defense policy. His nomination comes at a time when Trump has prioritized filling key positions with individuals who share his worldview and have demonstrated loyalty to his administration’s agenda.

Central to the controversy around Hegseth’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Defense is whether his post-service drinking devolved into a problematic habit. Although he has spoken publicly about his difficulty in permanently transitioning back to civilian life after service, Hegseth maintains that he never considered himself an alcoholic.

Former colleagues at Fox News and soldiers under his leadership have come forward to praise his professionalism. At the same time, his mother has rebuffed allegations that he has been hostile to women, including his ex-wife. Stories by the New York Times and the New Yorker have generated the most buzz around Hegseth, and he has worked feverishly to quell it for the past two weeks.

He has spent most of his time on Capitol Hill courting Republican senators, hoping to look past the mainstream media coverage and confirm him next month. Among them is Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA,) who recently flipped from a voice of skepticism to one of favorableness. President-elect Donald Trump continues to stand by his candidacy. The hearings are expected to continue into the week as Republican leaders aim to advance Trump’s nominees ahead of his January 20 inauguration.

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