(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) Fox News employees who worked with former host and Trump defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth spoke out Tuesday after NBC News dropped a report claiming 10 anonymous Fox News colleagues were “worried” about Hegseth’s drinking habits.
Piling on top of other outlets’ disputed smears of sexual misconduct, NBC News propagated the narrative that Hegseth had a drinking problem while working on Fox and Friends Weekend and his co-workers “smelled alcohol on him” before he went on air.
Several Fox News employees went on the record to defend Hegseth, quickly surpassing NBC’s 10-source benchmark.
Hegseth’s Fox and Friends Weekend co-anchor Will Cain compiled the responses in a thread on X.
10 “anonymous sources” for @NBCNews.
Here’s your on the record statements from people who worked with @PeteHegseth. I know there’s MANY more of you. Drop it here. 👇@dbongino @NBSaphierMD @Johnny_Joey @kylenabecker pic.twitter.com/OkvTY4J5iu
— Will Cain (@willcain) December 4, 2024
“Bulls**t. 100 percent bulls**t. Actually… horses**t,” Cain wrote before demanding his name be added to NBC’s report in defense of Hegseth as “the guy who sat next to him 8 hours every week for five years starting at 6 am.”
Your story is horseshit @NBCNews. Put my name on it. On the record. It’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.— Will Cain (@willcain) December 3, 2024
Cain revealed no reporter at NBC News contacted him for comment about the hit piece before publication.
He recommended listening to what their third co-host on the curvy couch, Rachel Campos-Duffy, had to say as the woman who sat between them.
I was not contacted by anyone at @NBCNews. And no one had closer proximity on a continuous basis. Well…maybe @RCamposDuffy since she sat between us! https://t.co/zdne9pJUJf
— Will Cain (@willcain) December 4, 2024
“The losers at @NBCNews never reached out to me either. @willcain is right – your story IS horses**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?” Campos-Duffy wrote.
The losers at @NBCNews never reached out to me either. @willcain is right – 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? https://t.co/s5YJsI23EV
— Rachel Campos-Duffy (@RCamposDuffy) December 4, 2024
Campos-Duffy’s daughter, Evita Duffy-Alfonso, confirmed her mother was not contacted, saying “their mouthpieces in the propaganda press hate Pete because they FEAR Pete—and that’s exactly what America needs.”
I stand with Pete and his beautiful family in the face of these smears. @NBCNews did not contact my mom @RCamposDuffy or @willcain for their latest anonymously sourced hit piece because it is total bs. The state and their mouthpieces in the propaganda press hate Pete because they… pic.twitter.com/RpXLqKtqjh
— Evita Duffy-Alfonso (@evitaduffy_1) December 4, 2024
Former Fox News host Dan Bongino called NBC News’s report “absolute BULLS**T,” while former Fox News producer Breanna Morello said, “I’ve never heard this in my life.”
Worked with Pete for years. This is absolute BULLSHIT. https://t.co/qyH0i2Kunk
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 3, 2024
As a former Fox producer, I’ve never heard this in my life.
Everyone spoke highly of him and still does til this day.
I noticed the employees are anonymous. https://t.co/7SmwHQ7993
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) December 4, 2024
Outkick host Tomi Lahren, a regular on the network, praised Hegseth as “the epitome of a class act and a great guy.”
Add @TomiLahren and @RepublicanChick. Did NBC contact any of these people? pic.twitter.com/yP797NDkDF
— Will Cain (@willcain) December 4, 2024
“This relentless onslaught against @PeteHegseth is getting pathetic. Done @foxandfriends many times with him and never known Pete be anything but utterly professional on camera and a nice, respectful guy off it,” Fox Nation host Piers Morgan wrote.
This relentless onslaught against @PeteHegseth is getting pathetic. Done @foxandfriends many times with him and never known Pete be anything but utterly professional on camera and a nice, respectful guy off it. https://t.co/6CoZApA6mG
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 3, 2024
Frequent Fox News guest Rob Smith said Hegseth never smelled of alcohol and praised the former host as a kind, helpful mentor.
Former Fox News producer Kyle Becker said Hegseth never showed signs of being drunk: “No bloodshot eyes. No slurred speech. No disheveled appearance. No wobbly gait. Nothing.”
A frequent guest and another former Fox producer. All putting their name on it. @robsmithonline @kylenabecker
What are we up to? 10 on the record? pic.twitter.com/FyR4Ni82eW
— Will Cain (@willcain) December 4, 2024
Outkick founder Clay Travis, who often appears on Fox News, blasted NBC News’s story as “ridiculous bulls**t.” Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe criticized the report as “a disgusting and false smear.”
Add @LisaMarieBoothe and @ClayTravis pic.twitter.com/pFmGBUyBVQ
— Will Cain (@willcain) December 4, 2024
“I can’t stand the propaganda practice of using anonymous sources to smear political opponents, as NBC does here. FWIW, I have nothing but good things to say about Pete and the anonymously sourced stories don’t match my personal experience in any way. Quite the contrary, in fact,” The Federalist Editor-in-Chief Molly Hemingway, a Fox News contributor, wrote.
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and The American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
