Following the defense by Fox and Friends Weekend co-host Will Cain, former Fox News host Dan Bongino, current Fox contributor Piers Morgan and other Fox associates publicly defended President-elect Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth against allegations of unprofessional drunkenness made by anonymous Fox staffers that was reported by NBC News on Tuesday.
The decorated Iraq and Afghan war veteran Hegseth’s nomination is facing withering fire as the establishment tries to derail Trump’s efforts to reform the corrupt defense industry.
The latest attack is from several anonymous Fox staffers who accused Hegesth of going on air with the smell of alcohol on his breath or of showing up hungover from a night of drinking for his early morning stint as a Fox and Friends Weekend co-host.
Pete Hegseth’s drinking worried colleagues at Fox News, sources tell NBC News
Ten current and former Fox employees say Trump’s pick for defense secretary drank in ways that concerned his co-workers. A Trump transition team spokesperson called the claims “completely unfounded and false.”
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, drank in ways that concerned his colleagues at Fox News, according to 10 current and former Fox employees who spoke with NBC News.
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. 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.
None of the sources with whom NBC News has spoken could recall an instance in which Hegseth missed a scheduled appearance because he’d been drinking.
“Everyone would be talking about it behind the scenes before he went on the air,” one of the former Fox employees said.
Dan Bongino posted in response, “Worked with Pete for years. This is absolute BULLSHIT.”
Worked with Pete for years. This is absolute BULLSHIT. https://t.co/qyH0i2Kunk
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 3, 2024
Bongino followed with, “Stand with Pete. The country needs him.”
Stand with Pete. The country needs him. pic.twitter.com/cIl6yonw7z
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 4, 2024
Fox Nation host Piers Morgan, “This relentless onslaught against @PeteHegseth is getting pathetic. Done @foxandfriends many times with him and never known Pete be anything but utterly professional on camera and a nice, respectful guy off it.”
This relentless onslaught against @PeteHegseth is getting pathetic. Done @foxandfriends many times with him and never known Pete be anything but utterly professional on camera and a nice, respectful guy off it. https://t.co/6CoZApA6mG
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 3, 2024
Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier, “I have routinely sat on the couch with @PeteHegseth for 8 years. Not once did I suspect he had consumed anything other than an egg sandwich and coffee before going on air.”
I have routinely sat on the couch with @PeteHegseth for 8 years. Not once did I suspect he had consumed anything other than an egg sandwich and coffee before going on air. pic.twitter.com/vjDQUpV9il
— Nicole Saphier, MD (@NBSaphierMD) December 4, 2024
Former Fox News producer Breanna Morello, “As a former Fox producer, I’ve never heard this in my life. Everyone spoke highly of him and still does til this day. I noticed the employees are anonymous.”
As a former Fox producer, I’ve never heard this in my life.
Everyone spoke highly of him and still does til this day.
I noticed the employees are anonymous. https://t.co/7SmwHQ7993
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) December 4, 2024
Fellow veteran Sean Parnell, who worked with Hegseth at Concerned Veterans for America, “The smears against Pete Hegseth are as relentless as they are false. My fellow republicans, there is a reason this is reaching a fevered pitch now & it’s not b/c the media decided to tell the truth for once. It’s all to tank Pete & hurt Trump. Do NOT fall for the false attacks.”
The smears against Pete Hegseth are as relentless as they are false.
My fellow republicans, there is a reason this is reaching a fevered pitch now & it’s not b/c the media decided to tell the truth for once.It’s all to tank Pete & hurt Trump.
Do NOT fall for the false attacks.
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) December 4, 2024
CNN’s Kaitlin Collins reported Hegseth is expected to do an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, “In a sign of how seriously the Trump transition team is viewing Republican senators’ concerns about Pete Hegseth, he is expected to sit for an interview with Fox News tomorrow, I’m told by multiple people. That’s notable given most (if not all?) of Trump’s Cabinet picks have been told not to do media until after they are confirmed.”
In a sign of how seriously the Trump transition team is viewing Republican senators’ concerns about Pete Hegseth, he is expected to sit for an interview with Fox News tomorrow, I’m told by multiple people. That’s notable given most (if not all?) of Trump’s Cabinet picks have been…
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) December 3, 2024
