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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    4 days ago

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

    • horse_battery_staple@lemmy.world
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      4 days 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

    • skulblaka@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days 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.

  • mhague@lemmy.world
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    4 days 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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      4 days 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.

  • Masamune@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    which he failed to disclose during the vetting process.>

    Wait. There is a vetting process???

    • ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com
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      4 days 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.

    • Scubus@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days 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.

  • Zier@fedia.io
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    4 days 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.

  • ThirdWorldOrder@lemm.ee
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    4 days 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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    4 days 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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    4 days ago

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