‘Not Hearing an Answer’: Hegseth Refuses to Commit to Resigning if He Drinks on the Job
The former “Fox & Friends Weekend” host dodged questions from Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono about whether he’d resign.
Reuters
Pete Hegseth refused to commit to resigning if he drinks on the job while running the Pentagon.
The former Fox & Friends Weekend host dodged questions from Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono at his confirmation hearing Tuesday about whether he’d “resign as Secretary of Defense if you drink on the job, which is a 24-7 position.”
“I have made this commitment on behalf of the men and women I am serving,” Hegseth began to say, referring to his promise that he would not drink if he was confirmed.
“Will you resign as Secretary of Defense if you drink on the job?” the Democrat senator again asked.
“I’ve made this commitment on behalf of the men and women I’m serving because it’s the most important deployment of my life,” Hegseth repeated.
“I’m not hearing an answer to my questions,” Hirono said. “While you have made that commitment, you will not commit to resigning if you drink on the job.”
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Hirono referenced reports from The New Yorker and NBC News that Hegseth had a history of drinking heavily at work while the president of a veteran’s advocacy group and that his drinking habits affected his job as a Fox News morning host.
Wow -- Hegseth steamrolls Hirono as she tries to ask him about accusations of being drunk on the job. He then dodges a question about if he'll commit to resign as sec def if he drinks on the job pic.twitter.com/bd6uo5QQPY
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 14, 2025
“As secretary you will be in charge of maintaining good order and discipline by enforcing the Uniform Code of Military Justice. … I have read multiple reports of your regularly being drunk at work, including by people who worked with you at Fox News,” Hirono said.
She then asked, “Do you know that being drunk at work is prohibited?”
Hegseth, who has denied having a drinking problem, insisted the reports were false.
“Those are multiple false anonymous reports peddled by NBC News that run directly contradictory to the dozens of men and women and Fox News channel,” Hegseth said.
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