‘You Were Still Married, Correct?’ Pete Hegseth Hammered For Cheating on Multiple Ex-Wives in Wild Senate Hearing Clash
Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth was absolutely grilled by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) over multiple examples of the former Fox News host’s past marriage infidelities.
Hegseth’s confirmation hearing is the first of this Congress and the first nominee from President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. Hegseth’s controversial positions in his books, his comments on Fox News, as well as his past extramarital affairs have become central lines of attacks by Democratic senators.
As reported in 2017, Hegseth fathered a child with Jennifer Rauchet, then a Fox News producer, while married to the woman who he has since divorced. Since his nomination, a police report emerged of a sexual assault allegation involving Hegseth, which Hegseth’s lawyers later insisted emerged from a consensual affair.
“I want to return to the incident that you referenced a minute ago that occurred in Monterey, California, in October 2017,” Kaine opened. “At that time, you were still married to your second wife, correct?” After Hegseth agreed that he believed so, Kaine followed with “And you had just fathered a child by a woman who would later become your third wife, correct?”
Senator, I was falsely charged and I fully. investigated and completely cleared,” Hegseth said of the sexual assault allegation, but Kaine pressed.
“So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime? That’s your definition of cleared?” Kaine pressed. “You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife. I am shocked that you would stand here and say you are completely cleared. Can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child who had been born two months before? And you tell us you are completely cleared. So how is that completely cleared?”
“Senator, Her child’s name is Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth, and she’s a child of God, and she’s seven years old,” Hegseth replied.
“I mean, you cheated on the mother of that child less than two months after that daughter was born, didn’t you?” Kaine pressed.
“Those were false charges. Well, no, totally investigated. And I was completely cleared. And I’m so grateful for the marriage I have to this day,” Hegseth answered.
