Hegseth underwent a rigorous hearing on Tuesday when testifying in front of the Senate, with many praising his performance amid the hearing. In previewing the next steps for Hegseth, whom Wicker said is “definitely on his way” to getting confirmed, the Mississippi senator said a hearing on the matter would be held on Monday afternoon, and that a vote would likely be held “by the end of the week.”

INAUGURATION DAY 2025: EVERYTHING TO KNOW AHEAD OF TRUMP TAKING OFFICE

“I’d say by first week, Pete Hegseth will be in place at the Pentagon, and we need somebody right away at the Pentagon,” Wicker said on Fox News’s One Nation with Brian Kilmeade.” This is the most dangerous situation the United States has faced since World War II. We’re facing not only Russia and China, but North Korea and the Ayatollahs in Iran, and they’re all in it together like they’ve never been before, so we need leadership, we need a change, and we need somebody in charge. And I’m really looking forward to working with Pete Hegseth and also the team he’s putting in place!”

Among those who have commended Hegseth’s performance was the Washington Examiner’s Byron York, who suggested that the defense secretary nominee’s “really strong” performance “united” Senate Republicans. He also suggested that Hegseth underwent “some of the ugliest questioning” he has seen in a Senate confirmation hearing.

Wicker also expressed excitement regarding fixing the nation’s spending spree, suggesting the nation act “more like a business” with its purchases, which include encouraging the launch of startup companies. To help address the nation’s spending, he predicted that an audit of the nation’s spending will be conducted and passed soon, as people are “absolutely crying for this.”

The Mississippi senator went on to state that the public wants the U.S. to enact “peace through strength,” and suggested it can do so over the next few years. He also stated that the Department of Government Efficiency would work very well in finding efficiencies to help the nation save money. 

Ahead of Trump’s inauguration, comedian Dave Chappelle wished Trump “good luck” during his monologue on Saturday Night Live, joking that the “whole world is counting on you.”