President-elect Donald Trump’s team stood by Pete Hegseth, his nominee for defense secretary, after media reports that police investigated a sexual assault claim against him and that his tattoos raised concern by a fellow Army member.

National Guard Master Sergeant DeRicko Gaither sent up a warning on the evening of Jan. 14, 2021, about Pete Hegseth, who on Tuesday became President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary.

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen former Fox News host and combat veteran Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense, an unconventional pick to oversee the Pentagon’s more than three million employees and more than $850 million budget.