1. Hegseth stated he didn’t wash his palms for 10 years
In 2019, on “Fox & Friends,” Hegseth stated, “I don’t think I’ve washed my hands for 10 years. Really, I don’t really wash my hands ever.” He went on to say, “I inoculate myself. Germs are not a real thing. I can’t see them; therefore, they’re not real.”
2. Hegseth stated girls mustn’t serve in navy fight roles
In a Nov. 7 look on the “Shawn Ryan Show,” Hegseth known as for a blanket ban on girls serving in fight roles within the navy.
“I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated,” Hegseth stated.
3. Hegseth was faraway from the Nationwide Guard element securing Biden’s inauguration
In 2021, Hegseth was one of 12 Nationwide Guard members faraway from the group chosen to safe incoming President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Pentagon officers informed the Related Press on the time that each one 12 had ties to right-wing militia teams or that they had made extremist posts on-line.
4. Hegseth is an anti-Muslim bigot
Hegseth has repeatedly attacked Muslims and complained about Muslims who stay in the US. He known as Muslims transferring to France a “slow-motion 9/11” and issued a warning about “Muslims’ birth rates” rising in states like Michigan and Minnesota.
5. Hegseth claimed separation of church and state is just not within the Structure
In a Might 2023 look on “Fox & Friends,” when a visitor talked about the separation of church and state, Hegseth stated, “That’s not in the Constitution, but that’s a whole other thing.”
For the report, the First Modification of the Structure says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
6. Hegseth stated Democrats have been “rooting” for COVID-19
After Democrats raised considerations concerning the Trump administration’s inept early response to the COVID-19 outbreak in February 2020, Hegseth lashed out.
On “Fox & Friends,” he stated, “I don’t relish the reality, but you start to feel—you really do, watch the Democrats, watch the media—you start to feel like they’re rooting for coronavirus to spread.”
7. Hegseth stated COVID was nothing to fret about
After a March 2020 state of emergency was declared in New York over COVID-19, Hegseth downplayed considerations concerning the virus.
“I feel like the more I learn about this, the less there is to worry about,” he stated on “Fox & Friends.”
Finally, greater than 1.2 million People have died from COVID-19 since January 2020.
8. Hegseth defended mercenaries who killed Iraqi civilians
In 2019, on “Fox & Friends,” Hegseth got here to the protection of contractors for the non-public navy firm Blackwater who have been convicted of killing over a dozen unarmed civilians in Iraq.
Hegseth additionally reportedly lobbied for pardons for the lads from Donald Trump.
9. Hegseth labored with lobbyists for schools that ripped off navy veterans
Hegseth labored with the lobbyist group Profession Schooling Schools and Universities as a spokesperson. Whereas activists have been trying to shut a loophole in federal legislation that allowed for-profit schools to use navy veterans, Hegseth spoke out towards potential authorities motion, though the change would assist veterans.
10. Hegseth stated variety within the navy is “garbage”
Navy leaders have often stated variety aids the navy as a result of divergent views assist to forestall groupthink and improve preparedness towards adversaries. In June, Hegseth stated he disagrees.
“The Pentagon likes to say our diversity is our strength. What a bunch of garbage,” he stated. “In the military, our diversity is not our strength. Our unity is our strength. We need a commander-in-chief who understands that, Donald Trump certainly does, getting woke out will go a long way to making sure we are top in the world.”
11. Hegseth known as for a “preemptive” navy strike towards North Korea
In 2017, once more on “Fox & Friends,” Hegseth stated that there was “merit” to a preemptive navy strike towards North Korea. The normal, bipartisan strategy towards North Korea has been containment, with the aim of deescalating regional tensions since North Korea has achieved nuclear functionality.
12. Hegseth praised the violent assault towards Nancy Pelosi’s husband
Following the assault on former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, Hegseth stated on a Might version of “Jesse Watters Primetime” that “Paul Pelosi needs the hammer.”
The assault on Pelosi left him with a fractured cranium. And the perpetrator was charged with tried murder, tried kidnapping, house invasion, and assault with a lethal weapon amongst a number of state and federal crimes. He was discovered responsible of all expenses and sentenced to life in jail.
13. Hegseth supported utilizing the racist time period “kung flu”
In 2020, following the COVID-19 outbreak, Trump used the racist time period “kung flu” to seek advice from the virus, which originated in China. In an look on identified racist Tucker Carlson’s Fox Information present, Hegseth defended the rhetoric.
“Well, say it with me, Tucker: Wuhan virus, Chinese virus, maybe even the kung flu. You know, a little off color, but funny and you know, we still live in a free country last time I checked,” he stated.
14. Hegseth defended Jan. 6 rioters
On the day after the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters hoping to overturn the election outcomes, Hegseth praised them.
“These are not conspiracy theorists motivated just by lies—that’s a bunch of nonsense that people want to tell us,” Hegseth stated. “These are people that understand first principles, they love freedom and they love free markets. And they see exactly what the anti-American left has done to America—indoctrinating our kids, opening our borders, canceling individuals, totally censoring entire viewpoints, all the double standards that exist in our country right now.”
15. Hegseth pushed Donald Trump’s 2020 election conspiracies
Days after his personal community had known as the 2020 election for Biden, Hegseth continued to advertise Trump’s lies concerning the election outcomes.
“The campaign has actually alleged there is widespread and systemic fraud on the ground where signatures were not verified against ballots that were counted, ballots that arrived late were counted, the ballots that were mailed in were treated differently than people than people that voted at the polls,” Hegseth stated in a Nov. 22, 2020, look on Fox Information.
He later added, “It is premature to declare that Joe Biden is the president-elect.”
16. Hegseth blamed the Russian invasion of Ukraine on America
In 2022, on “The Five” whereas discussing Russia’s choice to invade Ukraine, Hegseth inexplicably blamed America.
“I don’t think that Vladimir Putin believes his adversaries are fundamentally serious right now. He doesn’t believe the West is a serious civilization. We’re running around talking about genders and reparations and all of this. He sees us divided, he sees us as self-loathing, he—and as a result, he thinks this is his moment to make an aggressive move,” Hegseth stated.
17. Hegseth praised fighter who stated girls ought to keep within the kitchen
After a UFC fighter wore a shirt that stated “A Woman In Every Kitchen,” Hegseth joined repeat misogynist and fellow Fox Information host Jesse Watters in praising the attire.
If Hegseth turns into the general public face of the U.S. navy, it’ll basically remodel the nationwide and worldwide notion of what has historically been one of many unifying forces in American tradition—and never for the higher.
