Pete Hegseth's former sister-in-law said in an affidavit to senators on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon abused his second ex-wife to the point where she once hid in a closet and gave friends a code word to use in a crisis.

As senators weigh the fate of Pete Hegseth's Pentagon nomination, the former Fox News host is dealing with yet another personal controversy.

President Trump's transition team is quietly confident that Pete Hegseth will survive the latest allegation against him, transition officials and senators tell Axios. Why it matters: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) hinted Wednesday that she might vote against Hegseth,