Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis expressed full support for Hegseth after meeting with him on Monday, Dec. 2. She told reporters: "Are soldiers sometimes wild childs? Yeah, that can happen," subtly referencing his rocky private life. "But it is very clear that this guy is the guy who, at a time when Americans were losing confidence in their own military [and] in our ability to project strength around the world, Pete Hegseth is the answer to that concern."
West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito also expressed support for Hegseth in a post on X. She wrote how glad she was to meet with him and discuss "their shared priorities of restoring U.S. military deterrence and attracting more patriotic young Americans to military service." Capito concluded: "I thank Pete for his years of service in uniform and dedication to our country."
Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn likewise defended Hegseth, arguing that he is "an outstanding choice" for defense secretary and is "more than qualified" for the role. "I've spoken with Pete Hegseth about his military background and business experience … [and] I am confident he will bolster our military and make an excellent addition to the Trump administration," she wrote.
"There has also been an outpouring of support from male GOP senators, but female GOP senators have been particularly important as [Hegseth's] critics smear him with 2017 allegations of rape, despite a police report saying there was no evidence of rape and mistreatment of women," Breitbart News wrote. "Hegseth [also] comes under attack from anonymous sources in reports about his alleged behavior when drinking or with women from as far back as 2014."
Last month, Breitbart News reported that a police report from 2017 had cast doubt on the sexual assault allegation against Hegseth. The document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
According to the police report, the accuser – whose name is redacted in the document – claimed Hegseth sexually assaulted her during a 2017 GOP women's conference at a Monterey, California hotel. The alleged crime occurred after conference organizers went to the hotel's bar for drinks following an after-party.
But the report raised questions about her claim, with several eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage showing the opposite. The accuser and Hegseth ostensibly had a consensual sexual encounter that she was attempting to hide from her husband, who was staying with her at the same hotel along with their children.
The accuser believed "something may have been slipped into her drink, as she cannot remember most of the night's events" at the time. But surveillance footage begged to differ, as clips showed her appearing coherent before and after the alleged assault and had even "locked arms" with the former Fox News host while smiling.
An eyewitness also told police that she saw the unnamed accuser flirting with Hegseth. A hotel worker likewise recounted that the accuser put her hand and arm on his back and led him toward the direction of the hotel shortly before the alleged sexual assault happened. Hegseth was "very intoxicated," while she was not.
Moreover, the police report said a person who appears to be the accuser's husband told law enforcement that she said she "must have fallen asleep" somewhere upon returning to her room. This aligned with Hegseth's statement to police that the accuser said she was going to tell her husband.
Megyn Kelly, Hegseth's former colleague on Fox News, commented on the accuser's 2017 claims in her podcast.
"This smells like utter b------t. All of this sounds much more consistent with a woman who had a booty call," she said. (Related: Woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh of rape admits she totally made up her story to "get attention.")
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Watch Breanna Morello breaking down the false sexual assault accusation against Pete Hegseth in this clip.
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Trump chooses pro-Israel Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense.
Trump picks pro-war Zionist shill Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary.
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