As the Regime Media array themselves against the Trump Cabinet, it has become crystal clear that Defense Secretary-Designate Pete Hegseth has become a prime target. With the Hunter Biden pardon rapidly fading from coverage, the disqualification attacks against Hegseth drew top billing.
The most over-the-top coverage of Hegseth comes via the CBS Evening News. Outgoing anchor Norah O’Donnell’s wild introduction was tonally more in line with what you’d expect towards the end of a presidential campaign. Heck, it could’ve easily been published as a campaign press release:
NORAH O’DONNELL: Good evening. I'm Norah O'Donnell and we begin with new reporting tonight by CBS News. The highest priority of the President of the United States is the safety and security of the American people. As the Commander-in-Chief, presidents rely on their defense secretaries to help carry out that solemn task. President-Elect Donald Trump wanted a Fox News weekend host to hold that post. The 44-year-old combat veteran, Pete Hegseth. But tonight that nomination appears to be on the rocks. Hegseth is facing new allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking. Tonight, CBS News has learned Hegseth may not have the support of enough Republican senators to be confirmed for the job, meaning his nomination is in serious jeopardy.
O’Donnell’s intro feeds into a Nikole Killion report which served several purposes: to present Hegseth as unqualified for the position of Secretary of Defense (the insistence on describing him primarily as “Fox News host” and not as a decorated combat veteran), and to retail the various sets of allegations that have been made against Hegseth. Without evidence. More on that in a bit.
After Killion’s video package, O’Donnell tosses to incoming co-anchor John Dickerson, who further reinforces the credentialist disqualification narrative against Hegseth (click “expand” to view transcript):
Norah O'Donnell brought in the ever-pompous John Dickerson (one of her replacements) to to cite anonymous FORMER Pentagon officials...
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 4, 2024
O'Donnell: "[L]et's talk about the Defense Department. As you know, it's America's largest government agency. The defense secretary oversees… pic.twitter.com/f7355IAlwh
O’DONNELL: Let's talk about the Defense Department. As you know, it's America's largest government agency. The Defense Secretary oversees some 3 million military and civilian employees. We’re talking about a nearly $1 trillion budget. What is this process that's going on? Tell us about the growing doubts around Pete Hegseth.
JOHN DICKERSON: Well, Norah, in preparation for our conversation, I talked to some former Pentagon officials, high-ranking officials. And they say, obviously, the character questions go to trust. And this is a job of extraordinary responsibility. But also this is a job that requires balance and restraint. But what they all focused on was just what the job requires. It's to give the president advice on using lethal force. And it's a complicated world. You’ve got wars in the Middle East, Ukraine. You've got China, and Russia rising and there are surprises like what's happening in South Korea. And then there's the fact that a Pentagon Defense Secretary has to think about 2050 as much as 2025. That means artificial intelligence, supercomputing, and warfare in space. Then Donald Trump is making a complex job even more so for his Defense Secretary by adding on possibly rounding up migrants. Also he wants to take huge sections of Pentagon staff away. And he wants to rewire some U.S. alliances. So this is a very difficult job that Donald Trump is going to make even more complex.
ABC and NBC’s reports were tame in comparison, even if they followed the same general contours as CBS’s wild report. There were the “Fox News host” references, the anonymously-sourced reports alleging wild behavior, and the whispered speculation that there might not be sufficient Republican votes in the Senate to confirm Hegseth. It should be noted that only Garrett Haake of NBC News referred to Hegseth as a “decorated combat veteran”-after asking him whether he had a drinking problem.
What we are watching unfold in real time is nothing less than the Kavaborking of Pete Hegseth. On the one hand, there is the drip-drip-drip of unsourced allegations of excessive alcohol consumption and sexual impropriety, similar to what we saw during the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court.
On the other, the ferocious ideological opposition to the nominee. In performing his credentialist disqualification attack, CBS’s John Dickerson revealed the TRUE objection to Hegseth’s nomination, which is that he isn’t a card-carrying member of the D.C. Blob.
The social behavior would be much less of an issue were Hegseth a retired four-star general or congressman, and on the board of some large DoD contractor. He’d just slide right in after a quick confirmation, and continue to support the proxy wars in Ukraine and everywhere else. But he isn’t, so it’s ALL going to be a problem.
As a reform outsider, Hegseth is going to draw significant resistance. Going forward, expect the Regime Media to continue to cover this nomination as the threat that it is.
UPDATE: Hegseth's long-time Fox co-hosts Rachel Campos-Duffy and Will Cain forcefully refute the allegations set forth in the NBC hit piece.
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
Click “expand” to view the full transcripts of the aforementioned reports as aired on their respective network newscasts on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024:
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
12/3/24
6:38 PM
DAVID MUIR: Meantime, on Capitol Hill tonight, President-Elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon facing tough new questions and tonight, a key trump ally on The Hill now acknowledging this will be a, quote, “difficult path to confirmation” for Pete Hegseth. Here's ABC's Mary Bruce.
MARY BRUCE: Tonight, Donald Trump's embattled pick to lead the Defense Department, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, swarmed on Capitol Hill as he faces a bruising confirmation process.
REPORTER: How confident are you that you can get the votes to be confirmed?
BRUCE: Hegseth making the rounds hand-in-hand with his wife, trying to shore up support as he fends off allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse, which he denies.
REPORTER: What do you say to people who are troubled by some of these allegations, sir?
BRUCE: The New Yorker reporting Hegseth was forced to step down from leading two conservative veterans’ groups in the face of accusations he mishandled funds and abused alcohol on the job. Allegedly sexually pursuing female staffers and repeatedly being so drunk that he had to be cared for by employees, including once when he had to be held back "from joining the dancers on the stage of a Louisiana strip club where he had brought his team," according to a whistleblower report obtained by the magazine. Hegseth, an Army veteran with no military leadership experience, also facing questions about his previous insistence that women shouldn't serve in combat roles.
PETE HEGSETH: I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.
BRUCE: Today asked if he still feels that way.
REPORTER: How do you feel about the women in combat?
HEGSETH: We have amazing women who serve in our military. Amazing women who serve in our military.
REPORTER: Do you think that they should be in combat?
HEGSETH: I think they're already in combat.
BRUCE: Despite the backlash, the Trump team tonight remains confident.
JASON MILLER: So when it comes to Pete Hegseth, there aren't any concerns and we feel very good about his positioning for being confirmed by the Senate.
BRUCE: But he will need a majority of support in the Senate to be confirmed. And even some of Trump's ardent supporters concede he faces an uphill battle.
LINDSEY GRAHAM: Some of these articles are very disturbing. He obviously has a chance to defend himself here, but you know, some of this stuff is -- it's going to be difficult.
JOSH HAWLEY: I would just urge them before they make up their minds, let them have his hearing and listen to him under oath.
BRUCE: And David, Hegseth will surely have to face tough questions from senators on both sides of the aisle. He can only afford to lose the support of three Republicans and still get the job. And already, one of Trump's picks, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, didn't survive the scrutiny. And tonight, another one of Trump's choices, this time to lead the DEA, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, withdrawing his name from consideration after he faced significant pushback from some of Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters, David.
MUIR: Mary Bruce with us tonight. Mary, thank you.
CBS EVENING NEWS
12/3/24
6:30 PM
NORAH O’DONNELL: Good evening. I'm Norah O'Donnell and we begin with new reporting tonight by CBS News. The highest priority of the President of the United States is the safety and security of the American people. As the Commander-in-Chief, presidents rely on their defense secretaries to help carry out that solemn task. President-Elect Donald Trump wanted a Fox News weekend host to hold that post. The 44-year-old combat veteran, Pete Hegseth. But tonight that nomination appears to be on the rocks. Hegseth is facing new allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking. Tonight, CBS News has learned Hegseth may not have the support of enough Republican senators to be confirmed for the job, meaning his nomination is in serious jeopardy. CBS's Nikole Killion leads off our coverage tonight with new reporting from Capitol Hill. Good evening, Nikole.
NIKOLE KILLION: Good evening, Norah. Sources tell CBS News at least four Republican senators would likely withhold their support for Pete Hegseth if a confirmation vote were held today, although he and his team tell me they continue to go through the process to answer lawmakers' questions. Defense Secretary-Designate Pete Hegseth continued to make the rounds on Capitol Hill today seeking support.
KILLION: What is your message to senators while you're here?
PETE HEGSETH: I welcome their advice.
KILLION: But top Republicans are now voicing concerns about the 44-year-old former Fox News host who was forced to step down as head of that nonprofit Concerned Veterans for America in 2016, after staffers accused him of financial mismanagement, sexual misconduct, and repeated intoxication. A lawyer for Hegseth has denied the allegations.
CYNTHIA LUMMIS: These allegations that have come up in just the last, oh, 12 to 14 hours are a surprise to all of us. And so yes, he does need to address those. Because this was not something of which we were aware. Nor was President Trump aware of them.
KILLION: The President-Elect's team was also not aware of all the details surrounding a sexual assault allegation against Hegseth at a Monterey, California, hotel in 2017. He has denied any wrongdoing and was not charged but later paid the woman an undisclosed amount.
Did you brief the Trump team at all about any of the allegations against you, sir?
Today, Hegseth also declined to elaborate on the 2018 email his mother sent him, alleging his mistreatment of women. According to the email published by The New York Times, Hegseth's mother wrote, "You are an abuser of women. That is the ugly truth, and I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego."
Can you describe the relationship with your mother?
HEGSETH: I love my mother.
KILLION: Hegseth's mother later told the Times she wrote the email in anger, and her words weren't true. But South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham today said Hegseth has a challenging road ahead.
LINDSEY GRAHAM: Some of these articles are very disturbing. He obviously has a chance to defend himself here, some of this stuff is going to be difficult. Time will tell. I like Pete. I've known him for a very, very long time.
KILLION: Tonight we have learned that the Justice Department has signed an agreement with the Trump transition team to allow some potential nominees to undergo FBI background checks, which means that their personal and professional histories would be reviewed. Norah.
O’DONNELL: Nikole Killion with that new reporting from Capitol Hill. Nikole, thank you. Let's bring in our chief political analyst, John Dickerson. John, let's talk about the Defense Department. As you know, it's America's largest government agency. The Defense Secretary oversees some 3 million military and civilian employees. We’re talking about a nearly $1 trillion budget. What is this process that's going on? Tell us about the growing doubts around Pete Hegseth.
JOHN DICKERSON: Well, Norah, in preparation for our conversation, I talked to some former Pentagon officials, high-ranking officials. And they say, obviously, the character questions go to trust. And this is a job of extraordinary responsibility. But also this is a job that requires balance and restraint. But what they all focused on was just what the job requires. It's to give the president advice on using lethal force. And it's a complicated world. You’ve got wars in the Middle East, Ukraine. You've got China, and Russia rising and there are surprises like what's happening in South Korea. And then there's the fact that a Pentagon Defense Secretary has to think about 2050 as much as 2025. That means artificial intelligence, supercomputing, and warfare in space. Then Donald Trump is making a complex job even more so for his Defense Secretary by adding on possibly rounding up migrants. Also he wants to take huge sections of Pentagon staff away. And he wants to rewire some U.S. alliances. So this is a very difficult job that Donald Trump is going to make even more complex.
O’DONNELL: It's a really important point. And then, what about that new reporting about these potential FBI checks for those Trump nominations?
DICKERSON: One is just logistical. It makes the transition easier. It means that people have gotten background checks so they can see sensitive information. As far as nomination goes, it makes it so that the information is not hearsay but has actually been looked into. That might be good for some nominees but some other nominees may not want G-men looking into their backgrounds.
O’DONNELL: All right. John Dickerson, thank you.
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
12/3/24
6:36 PM
LESTER HOLT: Tonight there are new warning signs that Pete Hegseth's path to nomination as Defense Secretary may be in jeopardy with Senate Republicans. It comes as we have new reporting involving allegations about his drinking from former colleagues at Fox News. Claims the Trump transition team is strongly denying tonight. Garrett Haake now with late details.
GARRETT HAAKE: Tonight President-Elect Donald Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, facing growing skepticism of his chances for confirmation amid damaging news reports.
Do you need to address the questions about your character that have been raised --
And now ten current and former Fox News employees who worked with Hegseth, who hosted one of the network’s morning shows, telling NBC News that he drank in ways that concerned them. Two saying that on more than a dozen occasions they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air. Quote: “everyone would be talking about it behind the scenes”, one of the former Fox News employees said. “He should not be Secretary of Defense”, another former Fox News employee said. “His drinking should be disqualifying.” A Trump transition spokesperson calling the allegations “disgusting, completely unfounded, and false.” An attorney for Hegseth referring us to the transition statement. Fox News did not respond.
Mr. Hegseth, so many of these stories about you have involved alcohol. Do you have a drinking problem, sir?
Now NBC News has learned as many as six GOP senators are not comfortable supporting Hegseth's nomination, according to multiple Republicans with direct knowledge of the nomination process. Hegseth can only afford to lose the support of three Republicans if all Democrats vote no.
LINDSEY GRAHAM: The articles I’ve read…
HAAKE: Yeah?
GRAHAM: Some of them are concerning. I don't know if it's true or not. But he'll go through the process. He'll be asked about it, we’ll see what happens.
ROGER WICKER: There are questions that some members have, and we're going to be working for an answer.
HAAKE: Are you among the members who have questions?
WICKER: I'm looking to be supportive.
HAAKE: But no Republican senator has publicly said they will oppose Hegseth, who's also a decorated combat veteran.
MIKE ROUNDS: I think they've got a really good -- I think they've got a good shot of getting them all through.
HAAKE: Meanwhile, late tonight, another Trump pick abruptly pulled his name from consideration. Chad Chronister, the sheriff in Hillsborough County, Florida, withdrawing his selection for Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration posting, quote, “Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I've concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration.”
HOLT: And, Garrett, the Trump team has also now reached an agreement with the Justice Department for an FBI background check of nominees.
HAAKE: Yeah, that's right, Lester. It's called a Memorandum of Understanding. And some Republican senators have been urging the Trump transition to sign, worried that not getting checks done in a timely fashion could delay confirmations or lead to unwelcome surprises just before hearings get started. Lester.
HOLT: Garrett Haake. Thank you.
