President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly been reassured by a top Republican that his controversial pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has enough backing from the GOP to be confirmed by the Senate.

The Senate Committee on Armed Forces has scheduled a January 14 confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth to serve as as Secretary of Defense.

Defense Secretary-designate Pete Hegseth and Attorney General pick Pam Bondi will be the first two cabinet nominees of President-elect Donald Trump to sit for confirmation hearings by Senate committees next week.

During a speech on Sunday, Trump admitted the only reason he nominated Pete Hegseth to be the Secretary of Defense was because he constantly complained that convicted felons in the military were being treated unfairly. We talk about right-wing grievance politics, but this is a wingnut grievance hire.

Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard and he served in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11. Prior to his stint as a talk show host on Fox News, he led the nonprofits Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America.

When asked for comment, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader John Thune said "two things we don't discuss publicly: Whip counts and private conversations with the president."