"100% Bulls**t": Hegseth Hit Piece Debunked By Over A Dozen Current And Former Fox Employees
An anonymously sourced NBC News hit piece accusing Trump DoD pick Pete Hegseth of being frequently inebriated at Fox News has been refuted by over a dozen current and former Fox News personalities and guests, including his two cohosts.
According to NBC, two of their anonymous sources said that "on more than a dozen occasions during Hegseth’s time as a co-host of ‘Fox & Friends Weekend,’ which began in 2017, they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air," adding "“Those same two people, plus another, said that during his time there he appeared on television after they’d heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set."
"Horseshit"
In response to the hit piece, Hegseth's co-host Will Cain - who NBC never reached out to - posted to X: "Bullshit. 100 percent bullshit. Actually…horseshit," adding in a subsequent post, "Your story is horseshit @NBCNews. Put my name on it. On the record. It’ll be your only on the record source.
"Signed, The guy who sat next to him for 8 hours every week for five years starting at 6am."
Your story is horseshit @NBCNews. Put my name on it. On the record. It’ll be your only on the record source.
— Will Cain (@willcain) December 3, 2024
Signed,
The guy who sat next to him for 8 hours every week for five years starting at 6am.
Rachel Campos Duffy, Hegseth's other cohost, also chimed in - posting on X: "The losers at @NBCNews never reached out to me either," adding "Will Cain is right – your story IS horseshit. You now have 2 people who sat next to him 8+ hours a week on the record. Will you retract or correct your story?"
The losers at @NBCNews never reached out to me either. @willcain is right - your story IS horseshit. You now have 2 people who sat next to him 8+ hours a week on the record. Will you retract or correct your story? https://t.co/s5YJsI23EV
— Rachel Campos-Duffy (@RCamposDuffy) December 4, 2024
Hegseth's mother appeared on Fox & Friends, saying that her son is "the most faithful patriot of this country ... he has fought and almost died for his country. He's a good dad, he's an amazing son and father — and that's the Pete I want people to know."
Love you mom https://t.co/6l1VW7fyag
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) December 4, 2024
And he says Trump told him this morning to "Keep going, keep fighting."
HEGSETH to @NikolenDC
— Alan He (@alanhe) December 4, 2024
I spoke to the President elect this morning. He said keep going keep fighting. I’m behind you all the way.”
Q. So you are in this all the way?
“Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter. Im here for the fighters. This is personal & passionate… pic.twitter.com/HLFdfflES4
As American Greatness notes further, Duffy’s husband, former congressman Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), is Trump’s pick for Transportation Secretary. Their daughter, Evita Duffy-Alfonzo, posted her heartfelt defense of Hegseth, along with a photo of his family on X: “I stand with Pete and his beautiful family in the face of these smears,” Alfonzo wrote. “@NBCNews did not contact my mom @RCamposDuffy or @willcain for their latest anonymously sourced hit piece because it is total bs. The state and their mouthpieces in the propaganda press hate Pete because they FEAR Pete—and that’s exactly what America needs.”
Numerous Fox News employees defended the Army veteran throughout the afternoon and evening Tuesday.
Leo Terrell, a civil rights attorney and Fox News contributor, described Hegseth as a “great American” on X. “No one ask me my opinion about the great @PeteHegseth aka my friend!” Terrell wrote.
Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren also weighed in on X. “Add me also. Pete has always been the epitome of a class act and a great guy,” Lahren posted. “These attacks are shameful BS.”
Mollie Hemingway, Federalist Editor-in-Chief and Fox News contributor, wrote on X: “I can’t stand the propaganda practice of using anonymous sources to smear political opponents, as NBC does here. FWIW, I have nothing but good things to say about Pete and the anonymously sourced stories don’t match my personal experience in any way. Quite the contrary, in fact.”
Dr. Nicole Saphier, Fox’s medical news contributor, said she has regularly interacted with Hegseth on Fox and Friends and has never observed the behaviors reported by NBC.
“I have routinely sat on the couch with Pete Hegseth for 8 years,” Saphier posted on X. “Not once did I suspect he had consumed anything other than an egg sandwich and coffee before going on air.”
Fox News contributor Joey Jones called the allegations “Laughable.”
“I don’t drink. I’m disgusted by the smell of alcohol on someone’s breath,” Jones wrote on X. “I’ve never EVER seen Pete drink like that, and have never smelled alcohol on his breath at work. These hit pieces are getting laughable.”
Town Hall columnist and Fox News contributor Guy Benson also expressed his doubts about the story: “I’ve co-hosted with Pete and have never experienced anything like what was claimed in this anonymously-sourced report,” Benson wrote on X.
Lisa Boothe, another Fox News contributor who has worked closely with Hegseth, flatly stated that NBC’s allegation’s “did not happen.”
“I’ve guest co-hosted with him numerous times before,” Booth wrote. “Not once did this happen. Not once have I heard this from others. This is such a disgusting and false smear. It is wrong and malicious.”
Radio talk Show host and Fox News contributor Dan Bongino didn’t mince words: “Worked with Pete for years. This is absolute BULLSHIT,” he posted on X.
Former Fox News producer Kyle Becker posted on X that he had worked with Hegseth “numerous times” and “never got the impression he was ever drunk.”
Becker added: “No bloodshot eyes. No slurred speech. No disheveled appearance. No wobbly gait. Nothing. I’m also calling bullshit.”
Another former Fox producer, Brianna Morello said “I’ve never heard this in my life.”
“Everyone spoke highly of him and still does til this day,” Morello wrote on X. “I noticed the employees are anonymous.”
Fox News Contributor Sarah Carter said she has known Hegseth for a long time and has never observed the behavior described in the NBC report.
“I have known Pete Hegseth since we were both at The Blaze way back when and as a contributor for Fox since 2017, I have never once seen this type of reported lies or behavior.” Carter wrote on X. “He’s always been a gentleman and great guy!”
Fox News producer William Case claimed to know who NBC’s anonymous sources are, and said they’re the one’s who came into work hungover.
“I worked with Pete Hegseth for YEARS –on set, in the control room, in the newsroom, in taxis, on boats, on location. This is all LOLOL,” Case posted on X.
The F&F staff all LOVED Pete, and women of every rank thought he was just the greatest thing (oh the stories). Also:
1. I know the NBC producers anonymously quoted here and they’re 100% cowards. They’re also loaded with medications and likely functioning alcohols themselves.
2. I have photos of F&F weekend staff coming into work hungover, on the floor, by their desks. They were too drunk to notice Pete most days.
3. I don’t let problematic alcoholics hold my children.
Numerous guests who have appeared on Fox News, also vouched on the record for Hegseth, including Corey de Angelis, Senior Fellow at the American Culture Project; author Carol Roth; musician Chad Prather, TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk; TPUSA contributor Graham Allen; combat veteran and author Sean Parnell; and British media personality Piers Morgan, who said, “this relentless onslaught against Pete Hegseth is getting pathetic.” Morgan added: “Done Fox and Friends many times with him and never known Pete be anything but utterly professional on camera and a nice, respectful guy off it.”
Running a hit piece on a man that's solely based on anonymous sources is cowardly and isn't journalism.
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) December 4, 2024
I'm willing to go on the record regarding Pete Hegseth.
As a former Fox booking producer, I've never heard a negative remark about Hegseth--until now.
This is the letter I… pic.twitter.com/lFvUAceqIj
In short:
This is exactly what they are doing. pic.twitter.com/okAVq6s3wr
— Brent T Garrett 🇺🇸 (@Dawgfatherof2) December 4, 2024