‘Bullsh*t’: Dozens Of Pete Hegseth’s Fox Colleagues Debunk Media’s Latest Hit Piece
Multiple Fox News personalities have come forward to publicly dispute allegations about Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary in a heated rebuke to a recent NBC News report. The NBC article, citing ten unnamed current and former Fox employees, alleged that Hegseth exhibited concerning drinking behavior during his tenure as a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend—claims that many of his colleagues say are baseless.
The allegations include accusations from two sources who said they smelled alcohol on Hegseth on more than a dozen occasions before he went on air. The report also cited claims that Hegseth appeared on television after discussing being hungover.
“Two of those people 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,” NBC reported on Tuesday. “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.”
“One of the sources said they smelled alcohol on him as recently as last month and heard him complain about being hungover this fall,” the piece claimed. “None of the sources with whom NBC News has spoken could recall an instance when Hegseth missed a scheduled appearance because he’d been drinking.”
The backlash was swift and vociferous. Fox News voices rallied around Hegseth, with several publicly expressing their frustration over what they see as a targeted smear campaign.
Will Cain, a longtime co-host alongside Hegseth, dismissed the report with blunt language. “Bullsht. 100 percent bullsht. Actually…horsesht,” Cain posted on X (formerly Twitter). He later added: “Your story is horsesht, @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 eight hours every week for five years starting at 6 a.m.”
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.— Will Cain (@willcain) December 3, 2024
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.
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
The mother of Hegseth took to Fox News on Wednesday where she steadfastly refused decades-old allegations of alcoholism and sexual harassment by her son while he oversaw several charitable veterans organizations. Penelope Hegseth condemned the media’s use of a letter she sent her son in 2018 accusing him of abusing women and displaying a lack of character.
“I want to say something about the media,” she told “Fox & Friends” co-hosts. “Part of today is to discredit the media and how they contact you.” Penelope went on to accuse the New York Times of “threatening” her into releasing a statement before it published a story last week about the letter which has since fueled doubt about her son’s ability to remain President-elect Trump’s nominee. “I think that’s a despicable way to treat anyone. Threats are dangerous, and they’re hard on families,” she added.
WATCH:
The NBC report does not include any named sources for its claims, a point of contention among Hegseth’s defenders. The controversy comes as Hegseth prepares for Senate confirmation hearings for the role of defense secretary, a key post in the incoming Trump administration. Supporters argue that the timing of the NBC report suggests a coordinated effort to derail his nomination, echoing the tactics often employed during contentious political battles.
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