In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump declared that Hegseth is "doing very well" in his bid for Defense secretary.
"His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe," Trump wrote. "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!"
Hegseth spent much of this week on Capitol Hill, where he sought to shore up support in the Senate for his confirmation to the job overseeing some 3 million civilians and servicemembers.
Still, Hegseth's nomination appears doomed, as he can only afford to lose the support of three Republican senators and still be confirmed.
One GOP senator told The Hill on Thursday there were seven or eight Republicans who were against him.
"I think most people do not expect Hegseth to make it," the senator said.
GOP senators have also said Trump is not making calls to shore up support for Hegseth and pointed to reports that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) could be the next pick for the role, suggesting the leaks are coming from Mar-a-Lago.
Despite speculation over a potential shakeup, Vance leaned in to supporting Hegseth on Friday and said he should get a hearing before the Senate, not a "sham" hearing based on media reports.
"We believe that Pete Hegseth is the right guy to lead the Department of Defense,” Vance told reporters. “We’re not abandoning this nomination.”
Hegseth is facing mounting allegations, including a 2017 sexual assault allegation that he denies, financial mismanagement at two veterans groups he once ran and reports of excessive drinking and improper behavior at Fox News and the veterans organizations.
His mother, Penelope Cruz, also sent a private email to him in 2018 that accused him of mistreating women, but she appeared on Fox News this week to defend her son and condemn the media for airing the allegations, saying she regretted the email she had sent.
Hegseth also defended himself, making an appearance on a podcast, writing a Wall Street Journal opinion piece and posting on X.
And his attorney, Timothy Parlatore, appeared on CNN to defend him, threatening to sue for extortion against the woman in the 2017 case who has accused Hegseth of sexual assault.
But Hegseth's biggest battle is in the Senate.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who is a sexual assault survivor and has made a big case of addressing sexual assault in the military, said she wants a full vetting process for Hegseth before she casts her vote.
“I think for a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared, and that’s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process," she said on Fox News Thursday.
