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‘A Coordinated Smear Campaign’: Hegseth Hits Back Against Accusers in First Answer at Confirmation Hearing

The Pentagon chief nominee said the accusations of alcohol abuse, sexual assault, and financial mismanagement were driven by the ‘left-wing media.’

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appears before the Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
MATTHEW RICE
MATTHEW RICE

Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth is hitting back forcefully at accusations that have been levied against him in recent months by whistleblowers and anonymous sources in the press, saying that it is nothing more than a “coordinated smear campaign.”

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MATTHEW RICE
MATTHEW RICE

Mr. Rice, based in the nation's capital, covers current events in politics.

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