President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department intimated during a hallway interview at the U.S.

Capitol on Wednesday that he’s not going to drop out of consideration despite mounting allegations of sexual and personal misconduct.

Former Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth, an Army officer with documented combat experience, said that he spoke with Trump earlier in the day and that the president-elect encouraged him to “keep fighting.”

spoke to the President-elect this morning. He said keep going, keep fighting… Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter,” he told a reporter.

Asked directly if he was thinking of withdrawing his name amid the allegations, Hegseth said he was on Capitol Hill to meet with senators and that would continue.