The Allegations
The NBC report cites ten unnamed current and former Fox employees, two of whom claim to have smelled alcohol on Hegseth on multiple occasions before he went on air. They also allege hearing him discuss being hungover on set.
“On more than a dozen occasions during his time as a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend, which began in 2017, they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air,” NBC reported. One source claimed this behavior continued as recently as last month.
Notably, the report admits that none of the sources could recall an instance when Hegseth missed a scheduled appearance due to drinking.
Fox News Colleagues Respond
Hegseth’s Fox News colleagues have come to his defense with emphatic denials of the allegations.
- Will Cain, Hegseth’s longtime co-host, took to X (formerly Twitter) to call the report “100 percent bullst.” He added, “Your story is horsest, @NBCNews. Put my name on it. On the record. It’ll be your only on-the-record source.”
- Rachel Campos-Duffy, another co-host, supported Cain’s statement. “The losers at @NBCNews never reached out to me either,” she wrote. “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 unified backlash from Hegseth’s Fox colleagues paints the allegations as a coordinated smear campaign, particularly given their timing ahead of his Senate confirmation hearings.
Rachel Campos-Duffy, another Fox News colleague who worked closely with Hegseth, echoed Cain’s sentiment. “The losers at @NBCNews never reached out to me either. @WillCain is right—your story IS horsesh*t. You now have 2 people who sat next to him 8+ hours a week on the record. Will you retract or correct your story?” Campos-Duffy wrote.
Family and Historical Allegations
The controversy extends beyond the NBC report. Hegseth’s mother, Penelope Hegseth, appeared on Fox & Friends to address unrelated allegations of misconduct from years earlier.
Penelope denounced media outlets, including The New York Times, for publishing details of a private letter she wrote to her son in 2018, accusing him of poor character and mistreatment of women. She claimed the media threatened her to release a statement ahead of publication.
“I want to say something about the media. Part of today is to discredit the media and how they contact you,” Penelope stated. “Threats are dangerous, and they’re hard on families.”
Timing and Motivations
Supporters of Hegseth have questioned the timing of these allegations, pointing to the Senate confirmation hearings for defense secretary as a key factor. Many believe the accusations are politically motivated, aimed at undermining his nomination and discrediting him in the eyes of lawmakers and the public.
The absence of named sources in the NBC report further fuels skepticism about the credibility of the claims. Hegseth’s defenders argue this is a clear attempt to derail his career and the incoming Trump administration’s plans.
What’s Next?
As the Senate prepares to vet Hegseth for one of the most important roles in the Trump administration, these allegations add another layer of scrutiny. Whether the accusations will impact his confirmation remains to be seen, but the intense pushback from Hegseth’s allies suggests a contentious battle ahead.
For now, Hegseth’s camp and Fox News colleagues are firmly standing by his side, labeling the accusations as unfounded and politically driven.
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