Defense Nominee Grilled Over Marriage Infidelities
Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth faced intense questioning from Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) during his confirmation hearing over his past marital infidelities. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, had fathered a child with Jennifer Rauchet, a Fox News producer, while still married to his second wife.
Hegseth was accused of fathering the child in October 2017, just two months after the birth of his previous child. When questioned about the incident, Hegseth denied any wrongdoing, stating that the allegations were "completely false charges" against him. Hegseth was also accused of sexual assault in a police report, which his lawyers claimed was a consensual affair.
During the hearing, Kaine repeatedly pressed Hegseth about the incident, noting that Hegseth had not only cheated on his second wife but also the mother of a child who was just two months old at the time. Hegseth denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the allegations were unfounded.
When asked about his actions, Hegseth cited his "marriage I have to this day" and praised the child resulting from the infidelity, calling her "Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth, and she’s a child of God, and she’s seven years old." Kaine responded, "You cheated on the mother of that child less than two months after that daughter was born, didn’t you?"
Despite Hegseth’s denials, the sexual assault allegation remained a point of contention, with Kaine arguing that Hegseth’s version of events raised more questions than answers.