President-Elect Donald Trump appears to have decided not to replace his pick for the Secretary of Defense. 

Trump confirmed his support of Hegseth in a statement that he released, via his Truth Social account, over the weekend.

This came after reports that Trump and his people were considering replacing Hegseth, perhaps with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

These reports came after Hegseth appeared to face opposition from some Republicans, including - most importantly - some Republican members of the U.S. Senate, which will be tasked with confirming or denying Trump's pick.

The latest

In his statement, Trump did a couple of things. First, he made it clear that he is standing behind his nomination of Hegseth.

"Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe," the president-elect said.

Trump then reminded people why it is that he chose Hegseth to lead the U.S. Department of Defense.

"He was a great student - Princeton/Harvard educated - with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill," Trump wrote.

The president-elect then concluded, "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!"

Background

Before Trump released the above statement, reports were published suggesting that he was considering replacing Hegseth with DeSantis.

Fox News, for example, reported:

President-elect Trump is considering nominating Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida as defense secretary to replace Pete Hegseth, Trump's embattled current pick to steer the Pentagon, multiple sources confirm to Fox News . . . DeSantis is "very much" in contention to replace Hegseth, multiple sources told Fox News. One source added that it was the president-elect himself who floated the governor's name, and that Trump and DeSantis discussed the idea as they met Tuesday while appearing together in Florida at a memorial service for fallen law enforcement officers in Palm Beach County.

Trump has not confirmed whether or not this reporting is accurate. Time will tell.

The likely reason why such reports emerged is that Hegseth, according to news outlets, has been facing some opposition from some Republican senators. Leftist outlets are doing their part by publishing hit pieces on Hegseth, such as this one from the New York Times. 

Time will tell whether Hegseth is able to survive the confirmation process. If not, then Trump will be forced to pick someone else.