In the two weeks since Donald Trump announced he would be nominating Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense, many have questioned whether he will survive the Senate confirmation process.
Those questions got louder last Wednesday when a police report detailing the full scope of the sexual assault allegations against him was made public. A woman, who remains anonymous, accused Hegseth of raping her at a conference in Monterey, California, in 2017. He said their dalliance was consensual, and police never brought charges against him.
Megyn took an extensive look at the allegations and information in the report in a special ‘Deep Dive’ episode released on Friday (you can watch it here). After poring over the information, she asked the audience to share their thoughts with her via email.
The Overall Reaction
Hundreds of you wrote in and, as always, the reaction was thoughtful and nuanced. There was also a very clear through line in terms of how people view the situation, which Megyn broke down on Monday’s show.
“If I had to characterize the overall response it is that the audience is not impressed with Pete’s moral character at all and a lot of people were a lot harsher on the judgment of his marital infidelities than I was,” Megyn explained. “Many male and female listeners thought it was a deal breaker for the particular position he is applying for as department of defense chief, saying that is a position where you cannot be compromised. You have got to be able to keep it in your pants. You can’t be tempted. You have to have self-control. And this history of his with cheating on three wives does not suggest he has got it.”
Most of the people voicing those concerns, Megyn noted, are self-described fans of Hegseth. “For what it’s worth, my audience – which is not far left – is saying: We don’t like it, and we do think it matters,” she added. “It was not everybody, but more than half felt that way.”
At the same time, there was unanimous agreement that Hegseth did not rape Jane Doe. “But literally nobody believes the rape allegations,” Megyn said. “I mean, not one audience member believes the – what I call – bullsh-t coming out of this woman who he met at this conference in Monterey, California, in 2017.”
To get a better sense of where people fall on the issue of Hegseth’s nomination and the specifics of the police report, below is a selection of the emails we received. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts.
The Case Against Hegseth
Here is a sampling of the reasoning behind why Hegseth is not qualified to be secretary of defense:
From: Katy
I thought [Pete] was adorable when I first saw him years ago on Fox News, and I remember reading about him and his gorgeous (2nd) wife and 3 very young, very adorable children. And then a few years later, I somehow read about his extramarital affair with his producer and his baby born to her and I just thought, “How could you? Your precious family. Ick!”
So there’s infidelity and poor judgment and a forsaking of your children as well as your wife by starting a new family. And then, as you recounted the rape charge against him, I was even more disgusted by him, but also disturbed by the possibility that he would be a really easy target for any country’s female spy. Not only does he (or did he) compromise himself by getting drunk with strangers who could make accusations about him, but who knows what a foreign enemy could get off of him if his character remains what it has been? It’s a pattern with him.
From: Chris
I served in the United States Marine Corp, my father served in Korea as a marine, and my Godchild is currently serving. After learning Pete Hegseth’s background as an infantryman, I liked his outside of the box selection to run the defense department. He seemed like someone who has the perspective to think of the rank and file while at the same time having the intellect to see the larger picture. The problems I have with Pete Hegseth and these allegations are two fold:
- He didn’t tell the Trump team that this was out there. He had to know that the media was going to bring this up and to not let the Trump team know was stupid. This is a lie of omission. This tells me he will lie when it suits him regardless of whether that lie would hurt the Trump administration.
- No matter if you believe this women’s allegation that he raped her, his behavior is disqualifying. There is a difference between being elected and appointed to a position. When you are running for an office all of your scabs are out there for the public to weigh. The same cannot be said for an appointed position. It would be one thing if he was appointed to run transportation or something, but he is being appointed to run the defense department and the standards should be higher. This is the kind of behavior that prevents colonels from becoming generals; heck even lieutenants from becoming captains. The thing is, I am sure that Pete Hegseth knows this is true.
Publicly drunk on a business trip and having random sex is the kind of behavior that our adversaries use to compromise people in power. This behavior shows horrible judgement and a lack of maturity/seriousness and it should be disqualifying.
From: Marc
I agree with you that the rape allegation is total BS. However, the fact that Pete has committed adultery many times while an officer and member of the military is very troubling. Adultery is a crime under Article 134: (Extra-marital Conduct) of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with maximum punishment of a Dishonorable Discharge, forfeiture of pay and allowances and even confinement. He may also be subject to Article 133 (Conduct Unbecoming an Officer) of the UCMJ. Although not charged under the UCMJ, Pete’s behavior puts a major blemish on his military career and could be used to disqualify him from being the SECDEF. The military is held to a higher standard under the UCMJ and many soldiers have been punished for what Pete has done. Food for thought.
The Case for Hegseth
There are also those in Megyn’s audience who still believe Hegseth is the best person for the job:
From: Joey
Here’s the bottom line:
- If someone looks hard enough at ANYONE’S past behavior, yucky stuff WILL be found. PERIOD. We are all human beings & none of us is without shame or regret (and most of those are of the sexual nature IMO)…
- Pete Hegseth impresses the hell out of me with regard to his qualifications for this cabinet position. Am I impressed by his marital fidelity – or lack thereof – NO. Could I forgive him for it? Not my business as I am not his wife. Does he need to be a perfect husband in order to carry out the duties of the Secretary of Defense? NO
- Pete Hegseth embodies all that Trump (and I) is looking for in SecDef and would bring to the DoD exactly what it needs following this disastrous administration. I can think of no one better suited.
I believe Pete should still be confirmed.
From: Shelly
Pete may sound like my “next ex husband” but he certainly doesn’t sound like a rapist. And really, everyone at the [DOD] is as crazy as a sprayed roach, so Pete would not only “fit right in,” but be able to keep them all in line! In fact, makes me want to vote him in myself… I really don’t care whose fruit bowl he sticks his banana in, He’s smart as sh-t and we NEED him! Just my two cents!
From: Jude
[With respect to] Pete Hegseth, I too like him. I believe he’ll make a great DoD Secretary. While I don’t like hearing about the difficulties he’s had in his personal life and prefer people of strong moral character, I also believe people are human and we all have weaknesses. It’s between Pete and God. And between him and his wives. This woman who has accused him is not believable in my opinion. Your “play by play” made this very apparent to me. She cries rape to help in her convincing her husband she was weak and unfaithful. I do believe it’s ok this kind of story comes out, perhaps it will wake Pete up and keep him faithful to Jen now and for life, whether he’s approved or not.
He’s going to go [through] hell with the Democrats in the Senate and maybe some Republicans as well. If I could have Pete without his adulterous past, I’d much prefer it. And I think at times it’s unfortunate that we have gotten to a time when behavior such as this is accepted in political and public life. And while my Christian beliefs tell me this is wrong, I know forgiveness has been given to us all if we seek it. So I’ll forgive Pete too. And if he passes the approval process, I’ll pray for his success in his public and personal life.
Was Hegseth Set Up?
Several people wrote in to say the text messages between Jane Doe and her husband may suggest they were setting Hegseth up:
From: Lisa
While I don’t disagree with your perception of the text messages, I also think there’s a possibility this was a setup and the husband was in on it. The disparaging remarks by her about Pete in the text messages and the “lovey dovey” text messages from the husband don’t smell right to me. Just a thought.
While Megyn appreciated the theory, there is a key reason why she does not believe this was the case. “I don’t think it is a setup because I don’t think the husband would have told the cops she looked fine at 4am,” she noted. “If he was part of the setup, he would have said she came home looking out of it, makeup smeared, she didn’t know where she’d been. Like, he would not inadvertently have thrown her under the bus like this.”
Additional Insight
There was some additional food for thought that came in from audience members who had unique insight into the situation due to their own personal background:
From: Kelly
I am a psychiatrist, and I tend to agree with your take on the Pete Hegseth rape accusations. I just wanted to add that I believe she waited until Thursday because, prior to that, Rohypnol would’ve shown up in her system. They would’ve been able to find it on a urine drug screen for usually about 72 hours. However, waiting four to five days before going to the emergency room would eliminate her need to prove that. Just an extra piece of evidence to strengthen the case.
Also, I would also point out that I believe she made her husband wear a condom because she was concerned about an STD, which would suggest that she remembered the sexual encounter prior to engaging in sexual intercourse with her husband.
From: Rebecca
I’m emailing you to give you my take, as a police officer, on the allegations against Pete on the alleged rape. I totally agree with you on the entire aspect of the case. While you were reading the text messages between Jane Doe and her husband I kept asking myself these questions:
- In the text, she made reference to Pete as though she did not know who he was. If he was the guest speaker, wouldn’t she have some sort of dossier on him if she was to be his “handler”? Being his point of contact I get, but why would he need a handler?
- Also, she talked an awful lot of trash about Pete to her husband only to end up sleeping with him. To me, it sounded almost like that was her intention from the start and was setting up an alibi so her husband did not suspect she was with Pete when she did not return to the room.
These are the questions I would have asked her.
From: Natasha
A very long time ago, I was a very young Russian language instructor at the Department of Defense in Monterey, CA. At that same time, I also volunteered at the local Rape Crisis Center, which was particularly busy because of the nearby Fort Ord in Seaside, which closed shortly thereafter in 1994.
It is unfortunate but a fact [that] incidents of rape are reported at a higher rate at military bases than in general population. Even in the early nineties, the Rape Crisis Center worked together with the [Army Criminal Investigation Division] CID and the local police and they appeared well trained and nothing but professional in their cooperation and assistance in investigating alleged incidents of rape.
I cannot imagine that in all the following years, with the MeToo era, etc… and increased awareness, that the police force in Monterey would not take the allegations seriously and would not file charges if they had an actual basis for doing so.
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 953 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.