Hegseth Vows to Abstain from Alcohol if Confirmed
The embattled Fox News host-turned-secretary of defense nominee denied ever having a drinking problem.
John Lamparski/Getty Images
Donald Trump’s secretary of defense pick, Pete Hegseth, said he would quit drinking if confirmed to the position, CNN correspondent Manu Raju reported Wednesday. “He views the job as so important that he volunteered that,” Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Raju. “I didn’t ask him.” The New Yorker published a bombshell report Sunday that alleged Hegseth had a history of drinking heavily at work while the president of a veteran’s advocacy group. Then several former Fox News colleagues shared with NBC News that Hegseth’s drinking was concerning and affected his job as a morning host. Hegseth denied having a drinking problem in an interview with Megyn Kelly on Wednesday, though he did not address the allegations about his behavior at work. Hegseth’s candidacy has been marred by a number of scandals, including multiple sexual assault allegations, infidelities and a leaked letter written by his mother calling him an “abuser.”
Pete Hegseth told incoming Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker that he wouldn’t drink if confirmed to the job.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 4, 2024
“He views the job as so important that he volunteered that,” Wicker told me. “I didn't ask him.”
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