The process of
Prom
Backed by
Concerns have arisen about Pete Hegseth’s leadership abilities due to his past troubles at work. Before becoming President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Hegseth led two nonprofit organizations into financial debt. Additionally, reports suggest that his issues with alcohol consumption persisted during his time as a Fox News personality.
Written by Sharon LaFraniere, David A. Fahrenthold, Dave Philipps, and Kate Kelly.
Since joining Fox News as a contributor, Pete Hegseth quickly gained popularity and became a prominent figure on the conservative media outlet. As a highly respected combat veteran, Hegseth eventually became the weekend anchor of the well-liked "Fox & Friends" show, making him a familiar face to viewers nationwide, including President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Donald Trump was very impressed by Mr. Hegseth, 44, and decided to appoint him as the head of the Department of Defense. However, what was happening at Fox News behind the scenes was not well-known to both Fox News viewers and Trump.
On multiple occasions in his early years at the network, Mr. Hegseth’s excessive alcohol consumption and disruptive conduct at Fox News events led to situations where company officials or colleagues had to intervene. These incidents highlight worries about his behavior that have put his chances of leading the Pentagon in jeopardy.
Despite Mr. Hegseth’s claim that he still has the support of Mr. Trump, reports emerged on Tuesday evening suggesting that the president-elect is considering seeking a different candidate for the important position.
The HR department at Fox News investigated Mr. Hegseth’s behavior at the "Fox & Friends" Christmas party in 2016 and had a conversation with him about it. This information was shared by a source who wished to remain anonymous in order to protect the privacy of the personnel issue.
In December of the following year, Mr. Hegseth became heavily intoxicated at a wedding for a Fox News producer. Witnesses, who chose to remain anonymous out of fear of backlash, reported that he had difficulty standing up in the men’s bathroom. Friends at the wedding asked another producer to arrange for Mr. Hegseth to be taken home so he could make it to the set by 6 a.m.
We are currently experiencing difficulties in accessing the content of the article.
To use this website, make sure to activate JavaScript in your
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently using Reader mode, please close it and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times content.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Do you already have a subscription? Please sign in.
Interested in receiving all of The Times content? Subscribe now.
Prom
Index of Pages
Navigation for Site Information