Pete Hegseth’s brutal putdown to Fox News reporter questioning his women in combat diss

Pete Hegseth has spent the past two days on Capitol Hill defending himself against reporters who confronted him about past controversies as he tries to shore up support for his nomination in the next administration.

Hegseth joked about the reporters who followed him around the Capitol — including a Fox News reporter who was his colleague just a few weeks ago.

Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department has faced questions over his past comments about excluding women from combat roles in the US military.

He also faced repeated questions over the past two days about a report claiming he was forced to leave his leadership roles at a veterans group due to excessive drinking.

“Have you ever been drunk while traveling for work?” a reporter asked Hegseth as he walked through the Capitol on Monday.

“I’m not going to dignify that with a response,” Hegseth replied.

He also ignored other questions shouted at him about this recent reporting.

Trump adviser Jason Miller dismissed the report during an interview with CNN on Tuesday.

“That was really just innuendo and gossip,” Miller said of the claim that Hegseth had to be dragged out of a Louisiana strip club after he allegedly harassed workers there.

Also on Tuesday, Hegseth snapped at former Fox colleague Aishah Hasnie who asked about a previous comment he made about women serving in combat roles.

“Many people are up in arms about the comments you made about women in combat. Do you just want to tackle it really quickly? What do you think of the women in battle?’ Hasnie asked.

“We have amazing women serving in our military. Great women,” he countered.

Hasnie pressed, “Do you think they should go into battle?”

“I think they’re already fighting,” Hegseth shot back.

During a podcast interview with host Shawn Ryan on November 7, Hegseth made the disturbing comments.

“I’m just saying honestly that we shouldn’t have women in combat roles,” he said last month. ‘It hasn’t made us more effective. Didn’t make us deadlier. Made fighting more complicated.

He claims that while women have a place in the military, he doesn’t think they belong in special operations, artillery, infantry or armor units.

The Pentagon’s pick is facing consequences after the New Yorker claimed in a report this week that he was drunk several times “to the point that he had to be pulled from the organization’s events” while CEO of Concerned Veterans for America (CVA). ) between 2013 and 2016.

Hegseth drank too much “occasionally” at CVA events and previously admitted to “drinking too much,” a source close to him told CBS.

But they insist the report on Hegseth’s behavior is false.

Hegseth also joked to a former Fox News colleague who asked about his previous comments claiming that women in the military should not serve in combat roles.

Hegseth ignored many questions about a report that he drank too much on the job and was forced out of a role at a veterans organization because of his drunkenness.

“The idea that a veterans organization of combat veterans who recently left the military would drink or drink too much is not news,” the person said.

“That’s not the kind of life Pete is living right now,” they added about the character development. “He’s definitely matured a lot in the last 10 years.”

Hegseth is already a controversial choice, with many Democrats claiming they oppose his nomination due to a lack of experience and some outlandish views – such as saying on a podcast that he does not believe women in the armed forces should serve in combat .

With Republicans regaining control of the Senate, it is highly likely that most of Trump’s picks will win the simple majority needed to ascend to their respective positions.