"I have faced firearms. I will not back down." Pete Hegseth (44), the next U.S. Secretary of Defense nominee who is facing a crisis of being ousted due to past sexual assault allegations, emphasized his determination to overcome the federal Senate confirmation hearing.
On the 4th (local time), Hegseth mentioned his military deployment experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, his work with veteran organizations, and his career as a Fox News anchor in an op-ed published in the daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ), expressing this resolve.
This op-ed drew attention as it was released immediately after a WSJ report that President-elect Donald Trump was considering appointing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the next Secretary of Defense instead of Hegseth, who is embroiled in sexual misconduct controversies. Amid speculation that Hegseth could be another casualty following former Congressman Marco Rubio, who voluntarily withdrew from the Attorney General nominee position, Hegseth directly denied the allegations surrounding him.
In the op-ed, after mentioning his past deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Hegseth stated, "My next mission was to support 'Veterans for Freedom (VFF),' an organization for veterans," adding, "It was not perfect, but I was always honest and serious." Regarding allegations that he was expelled from the veterans' organization due to excessive drinking and sexual misconduct, he dismissed them, saying, "I honestly raised money and seriously used it for the cause. I drank beer, but I never did anything inappropriate and respected everyone."
Furthermore, when he led another veterans' organization, 'Concerned Veterans for America (CVA),' he self-praised, saying, "We improved the lives of countless veterans. No group in Washington has achieved as much as we have." He refuted claims that mainstream media made it seem like they were running a college social club based on anonymous complaints from disgruntled employees, stating, "This is not true." He added, "As our organization grew, there were internal differences of opinion about the future," and "Eventually, the organization and I parted ways."
Hegseth also evaluated his subsequent work at Fox News as "an extension of the mission to fight for America." He blamed the media for making even this distrusted by relying on anonymous sources.
Regarding an email his mother sent him in the past, criticizing him by saying, "I hate men who disrespect women, lie, deceive, and simultaneously have relationships with multiple women and use them, and you are exactly that kind of man," he said, "I have been through many things such as deployment, career change, divorce, and family issues. I love my mother very much, and she loves me too. But by God's grace, I chose a different path. I was saved."
The latter part of the op-ed was largely filled with claims that all the allegations against him were the fault of the media. He asserted, "The media is spreading anonymous stories one after another," and "They all intend to slander and destroy me." He also added, "This is textbook manipulated media oppression," and "They believe I threaten their conventional madness, so they have to make me a monster." He further said, "Talk to those who served with me in Guantanamo, Iraq, and Afghanistan," and "They support me."
Hegseth emphasized, "I have never backed down from a fight, and I will not back down from this fight either." He also expressed gratitude to President-elect Trump for nominating him as Secretary of Defense and concluded the op-ed by saying, "I look forward to an honest confirmation hearing with the senators, not a show trial in the media."
Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor, is known to have paid a large sum of money to a woman he met at a 2017 Republican women’s event to keep secret an alleged sexual assault. According to a police investigation report, Hegseth allegedly took the woman’s phone, blocked the door to prevent her from leaving, and assaulted her. However, Hegseth maintains that the encounter was consensual, not sexual assault.
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