Chris Cuomo criticized Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine on Tuesday night for discussing past marriages with Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth instead of focusing on national security.
What questions would you have for a potential Secretary of Defense? What are you going to do about China, Russia, terror, the size of the Pentagon, drones,’ the… NewsNation host asked viewers. “Or would his marriage be your main concern?”
Cuomo on Tuesday showed a clip of Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, in which Kaine pressed the new president’s defense secretary over allegations of infidelity in one of his previous marriages.
“I want to return to the incident you just referred to,” Kaine said. “You were still married to your second wife at the time, right? And you had just fathered a child with a woman who would later become your third wife, right?’
Hegseth responded, “Senator I was falsely accused, fully investigated and fully exonerated.”
“So you think you’re completely exonerated because you didn’t commit a crime, is that your definition of exonerated? You had just fathered a child two months earlier with a woman who was not your wife,” Kaine asked.
“I assume that at each of your weddings you have promised to be faithful to your wife. You took an oath to that end, didn’t you?’
Hegseth responded that he was not a “perfect person.”
NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo showed a clip from Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing on Tuesday, in which Kaine pressed the president-elect’s pick for defense secretary over allegations of infidelity in one of his previous marriages
Senator Tim Kaine told Hegseth, “I just asked a simple question: You have taken an oath at all your weddings – as you would take an oath as Secretary of Defense – to be faithful to your wife, correct? ‘
What questions would you have for a potential Secretary of Defense? What are you going to do about China, Russia, terror, the size of the Pentagon, drones,” Cuomo asked viewers. “Or would his marriage be your main concern?”
Kaine continued, “I just asked a simple question: You have taken an oath at all your weddings – as you would take an oath as Secretary of Defense – to be faithful to your wife, correct?”
Kaine, in what Cuomo called “a Bill Clinton,” insinuated that because of Hegseth’s alleged infidelity in a previous marriage — in which he had taken an oath to remain faithful — he would therefore be “disloyal” or unfaithful in his position as Secretary of Defense. .
“Two points of disgust: How many people on that committee, how many in Congress, could pass the Kaine test that you can’t keep an oath if you’ve ever been unfaithful? Kaine may be alone in that room,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo also pointed out Kaine’s hypocrisy for supporting Clinton for president.
‘What difference does it make? When we talk about being the best warrior, not about our pastor. I’ll tell you who once agreed with me on this: Tim Kaine. He supported Bill Clinton for president,” he said.
‘He didn’t say he couldn’t serve, despite everything he knew about his peccadilloes. He still supported him. Why? Isn’t being president an equally important oath? What has changed?’
People online also noticed Kaine’s hypocritical and pushy cross-examination.
One user on X pointed out his history with Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff.
Hegseth is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense. Hegseth previously worked as a TV host, most notably for Fox News
Kaine, in what Cuomo called “a Bill Clinton,” insinuated that because of Hegseth’s alleged infidelity in a previous marriage — in which he had taken an oath to remain faithful — he would therefore be “disloyal” or unfaithful in his position as Secretary of Defense.
“Tim Kaine was WAY too interested in Pete Hegseth’s sex life… interesting. And let’s not forget that he campaigned with Doug Emhoff, who was accused of assaulting his ex. And I never denied it.’
Another user wrote, “Tim Kaine has a lot to say about Pete Hegseth’s behavior during his marriage. Here’s Tim Kaine campaigning with Doug Emhoff, who – while married – got his nanny pregnant and forced her to have an abortion.”
One said: ‘So this guy is questioning Pete Hegseth about his past but wasn’t he Hillary Clinton’s running mate and didn’t Bill have numerous affairs?
“So I’m confused… you’re holy than talking about affairs, and you seem so disgusted by it, but you’re friends with someone who had numerous affairs… and we had to go to one of them pay… . like $850,000 for one of them. Right?’
“Tim Kaine opposed the impeachment of Bill Clinton, who had sex in the oval office while he was president and married to someone else. But now Tim Kaine has questions about Pete Hegseth’s marital fidelity and fitness for office,” wrote another.
However, Tim Kaine also responded to Under no circumstances can our national security be threatened by intoxicated leadership.”
In another post he said: ‘Pete Hegseth covered up his alleged sexual misconduct, which followed a criminal investigation and a private settlement he reached with his accuser while he was being considered to lead the Defense Department. He knew it would hurt his chances. How can you trust him to be honest with the president and the public?”