Summary

Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee, Pete Hegseth, faces backlash over a newly surfaced 2017 sexual assault allegation, which he failed to disclose during the vetting process.

Trump’s team, reportedly furious, criticized Hegseth for not revealing the incident, detailed in a police report, ahead of his nomination.

Hegseth denies wrongdoing, stating the matter was fully investigated and he was cleared.

Republican senators remain divided, with some voicing concerns about his suitability given the military’s ongoing sexual assault issues.

The controversy adds to challenges for Hegseth, a Fox News host lacking government experience.

  • frezik@midwest.social
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    1 day ago

    Do they still think they can find a white guy in Trump’s orbit who hasn’t sexually assaulted someone?

    • skulblaka@sh.itjust.works
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      13 hours ago

      The point isn’t to find a non-rapist, the point is “just tell us ahead of time so we can sweep it under the rug, dumbass”

      They aren’t mad that he did it, they’re mad that the propaganda machine couldn’t get in front of it before it became news.

    • horse_battery_staple@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Likely as not, to be honest. The “outrage” is media spin from the team. They all know. They just can’t let on they know. Just like Project 2025

  • mhague@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    "… this is the fucking Pentagon! … Even if the allegations are fake, it doesn’t matter because he was supposed to tell us what we needed to know so we could be better prepared to defend him — not learn about it from the media.”

    They want to make the government small enough to drown in a bathtub and they can’t even find police reports about a potential hire.

    • snooggums@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      If the allegations were fake, he wouldn’t have anything to tell them.

      They are fine with a sec offender, they just wanted to be prepared.

  • Zier@fedia.io
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    1 day ago

    So the guy who doesn’t believe germs exist lied about sexual assault? Not shocked! I thought being a criminal was the minimum requirement to be in trumps government.

  • Masamune@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    which he failed to disclose during the vetting process.>

    Wait. There is a vetting process???

    • Scubus@sh.itjust.works
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      7 hours ago

      Yeah, if you dont have at least one rape inder your belt they have nothing they can hold against you. Which means for them to be mad they didnt know about this one, there has to be another they did know about.

    • ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com
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      1 day ago

      Yeah, that part of the chat while they ate McDonald’s, right after Trump asked him if he’d do anything Trump asked him to do, and right before Trump watched a highlight reel of Fox News clips. You know, the vetting process.

  • ThirdWorldOrder@lemm.ee
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    1 day ago

    How can they be furious when they knew damn well what was up with Gaetz. Ridiculous. They are trying to act like they were caught off guard. Give me a break.

  • adarza@lemmy.ca
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    1 day ago

    Republican senators remain divided

    the same senators that let the frat boy in?

    the same party that let thomas in?

  • droporain@lemmynsfw.com
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    1 day ago

    Yeah right what bullshit is this. His team cared about as much as the voting American public cares about Trump’s rapes