{"id":2376174,"date":"2024-12-04T10:58:53","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T15:58:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pete-hegseths-former-colleagues-defend-him-against-report-that-his-drinking-worried-coworkers-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-12-04T10:59:52","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T15:59:52","slug":"pete-hegseths-former-colleagues-defend-him-against-report-that-his-drinking-worried-coworkers-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pete-hegseths-former-colleagues-defend-him-against-report-that-his-drinking-worried-coworkers-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Pete Hegseth\u2019s former colleagues defend him against report that his drinking \u2018worried\u2019 coworkers &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpete-hegseths-former-colleagues-defend-him-against-report-that-his-drinking-worried-coworkers-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2376174&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Pete Hegseth,a Fox News personality,has come under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-prohibits-release-of-undercover-pro-life-activists-recordings\/\" title=\"Judge Prohibits Release of Undercover Pro-Life Activist\u2019s Recordings\">scrutiny due<\/a> to \u200creports\u200d concerning his drinking habits,which worried\u200c some of \u200bhis colleagues at the network.An\u2064 NBC News article\u2062 revealed that multiple \u200bFox employees expressed concerns about Hegseth allegedly\u2063 appearing under the influence before \u2064on-air performances.Specific instances highlighted included coworkers claiming they smelled alcohol on him and his own admissions \u2062of\u2063 being hungover prior to shows.<\/p>\n<p>In response\u2063 to these reports, Hegseth&#8217;s \u2063former colleagues Will Cain \u200dand Rachel\u200c Campos-Duffy publicly\u2063 defended him, dismissing the claims as false \u2064and unsubstantiated. Cain\u2062 described the reports as &#8220;bullsh*t&#8221; and urged\u2064 NBC News \u2064to include\u200c him as \u2062an on-the-record source \u200bto counter the allegations. Campos-Duffy echoed his sentiments,demanding a retraction or\u2062 correction from the network\u200c and pointing\u200d out that both of them had\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/european-regulator-to-lift-boeing-737-max-grounding-in-january\/\" title=\"European regulator to lift Boeing 737 MAX grounding in January\">worked closely<\/a> with Hegseth and \u2063coudl vouch for his \u2063behavior. <\/p>\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">public\u2063 defense highlights<\/a> a divide \u200cbetween\u200d Hegseth&#8217;s \u200csupporters at Fox \u200bNews and the narrative \u2063presented in the NBC \u2063reporting, creating controversy and discourse around workplace behavior and accountability in media environments.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Pete Hegseth&rsquo;s former colleagues defend him against report that his drinking &lsquo;worried&rsquo; coworkers<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1901337\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Pete Hegseth<\/a>&rsquo;s drinking was such a problem it worried many of his colleagues at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fox-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Fox News<\/a>, according to a report published on Tuesday by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nbc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">NBC<\/a> News.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The claim is based on communication with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/3-dead-after-vehicle-crashes-into-plasma-clinic-in-pittsburgh\/\" title=\"3 dead after vehicle crashes into plasma clinic in Pittsburgh\">ten employees<\/a> who worked alongside President-elect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a>&rsquo;s nominee for secretary of defense and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pete-hegseths-colleagues-defend-him-against-report-that-his-drinking-worried-coworkers-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Pete Hegseth\u2019s colleagues defend him against report that his drinking \u2018worried\u2019 coworkers - Washington Examiner\">discussed instances<\/a> in which they suspected him of being under the influence of alcohol. However, two of Hegseth&rsquo;s colleagues at Fox News came to Hegseth&rsquo;s defense and denounced the report. They took to X on Tuesday to claim it was untrue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Will Cain and Rachel Campos-Duffy, who cohosted Fox &amp; Friends Weekend with Hegseth, called the reports bogus, using colorful language to do so.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Bullsh*t,&rdquo; Cain <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/willcain\/status\/1864076222642139583?s=46\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">posted<\/a> on X, above a link for the article. &ldquo;100 percent bullsh*t. Actually&hellip;horsesh*t.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Bullshit. 100 percent bullshit. Actually&hellip;horseshit. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GgD6Ax455q\">https:\/\/t.co\/GgD6Ax455q<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Will Cain (@willcain) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/willcain\/status\/1864076222642139583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 3, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Cain posted again several minutes later, adding to his rebuke of the NBC News report by vouching for Hegseth and telling the network to use his name as a source to debunk the claim.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Your story is horesh*t @NBCNews,&rdquo; Cain <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/willcain\/status\/1864077559668850827?s=46\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">posted<\/a> on X. &ldquo;Put my name on it. On the record. It&rsquo;ll be your only on the record source. Signed, The guy who sat next to him for 8 hours every week for five years starting at 6am.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Campos-Duffy followed Cain with a post of her own later Tuesday night.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The losers at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBCNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NBCNews<\/a> never reached out to me either.  <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/willcain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@willcain<\/a> is right &ndash; your story IS  horseshit. You now have 2 people who sat next to him 8+ hours a week on the record. Will you retract or correct your story? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/s5YJsI23EV\">https:\/\/t.co\/s5YJsI23EV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Rachel Campos-Duffy (@RCamposDuffy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RCamposDuffy\/status\/1864155602609447297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;The losers at @NBCNews never reached out to me either,&rdquo; Campos-Duffy <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/rcamposduffy\/status\/1864155602609447297?s=46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">posted<\/a>. &ldquo;@willcain is right &ndash; your story IS horsesh*t. You now have 2 people who sat next to him 8+ hours a week on the record. Will you retract or correct your story?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>According to the NBC News report, two people said they &ldquo;smelled alcohol on him before he went on air,&rdquo; and on several other occasions, Hegseth mentioned he was &ldquo;hungover&rdquo; as he was preparing to film his show. One of the sources interviewed by NBC News claimed to have &ldquo;smelled alcohol on him as recently as last month&rdquo; and heard Hegseth mention he was hungover before filming an episode &ldquo;this fall.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Everyone would be talking about it behind the scenes before he went on the air,&rdquo; the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/national-security\/pete-hegseths-drinking-worried-colleagues-fox-news-sources-tell-nbc-ne-rcna181471\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">source<\/a> told NBC News.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Others took to X to vehemently defend Hegseth from the claims in the report.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Breanna Morello, a former producer for Fox News, denied the claim, stating that she &ldquo;never heard this&rdquo; during her time with the news network.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">As a former Fox producer, I&rsquo;ve never heard this in my life. <\/p>\n<p>Everyone spoke highly of him and still does til this day. <\/p>\n<p>I noticed the employees are anonymous. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7SmwHQ7993\">https:\/\/t.co\/7SmwHQ7993<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BreannaMorello\/status\/1864102530835243437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;As a former Fox producer, I&rsquo;ve never heard this in my life,&rdquo; Morello <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/breannamorello\/status\/1864102530835243437?s=46\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">posted<\/a>. &ldquo;Everyone spoke highly of him and still does til this day. I noticed the employees are anonymous.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kyle Becker, a former employee of Fox News, also challenged the accusation that Hegseth was regularly suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I sae <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeteHegseth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PeteHegseth<\/a> numerous times while working at Fox News. Never got the impression he was ever drunk.<\/p>\n<p>No bloodshot eyes. No slurred speech. No disheveled appearance. No wobbly gait. Nothing.<\/p>\n<p>I&rsquo;m also calling bullshit. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VO6SmCNBVI\">https:\/\/t.co\/VO6SmCNBVI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kylenabecker\/status\/1864110549014913054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;I sae[[<em>sic<\/em>]<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PeteHegseth\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> @PeteHegseth<\/a> numerous times while working at Fox News,&rdquo; Becker <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/kylenabecker\/status\/1864110549014913054?s=46\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">posted<\/a>. &ldquo;Never got the impression he was ever drunk. No bloodshot eyes. No slurred speech. No disheveled appearance. No wobbly gait. Nothing. I&rsquo;m also calling bullsh*t.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Podcast host Dan Bongino also rejected the NBC News report.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Worked with Pete for years,&rdquo; Bongino posted. &ldquo;This is absolute BULLSH*T.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The report featured three current Fox News employees and seven former ones. According to NBC News, all made their accusations anonymously because they were concerned about retaliation. <\/p>\n<p>Hegseth was the weekend cohost of <em>Fox &amp; Friends <\/em>from 2017 until President-elect Trump nominated him for secretary of defense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1901337\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1901337\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pete Hegseth&#8217;s ex-colleagues defend him against claims of problematic drinking at Fox News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2677,"featured_media":2376175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Pete-Hegseth-November-21-2024-1-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4272,12059,44930],"class_list":["post-2376174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-colleagues","tag-drinking","tag-pete-hegseth"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Pete-Hegseth-November-21-2024-1-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2677"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2376174"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2376178,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376174\/revisions\/2376178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2376175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2376174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2376174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2376174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}