Hmm! Pete Hegseth Makes Zero Promises About Treating Women Better

In the month since the election, one of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees has already had to withdraw from consideration. And, with any luck, another of his picks could soon join Matt Gaetz over on Cameo. Whatever happens, Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, is facing more concerns from the GOP this week than last. 

As a refresher, Hegseth, a former Fox News host, faces a disturbing allegation that he raped and potentially drugged a woman in 2017 at a political convention. Then, over the weekend and earlier this week, new, detailed reports surfaced about Hegseth’s alleged alcoholism. According to the reports, Hegseth, who formerly worked at veteran advocacy nonprofits before Fox News, routinely showed up to work events aggressively drunk; on several occasions, he had to be forcibly removed. Even while Hegseth hosted his early morning Fox News show starting in 2018, sources this week recounted him sometimes showing up drunk. 

Reports about the rape allegation against Hegseth first surfaced a month ago, but Senate Republicans are only expressing trepidation about him now that his issues with alcoholism are coming to light. The Hill reported on Wednesday that Hegseth “promised” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the incoming Senate Armed Services chair, that he won’t drink if confirmed as defense secretary. “I think that’s probably a good idea,” Wicker told reporters. 

Umm… a couple immediate reactions: Tellingly, Hegseth made no promises about how he’ll treat women. Hegseth previously argued women shouldn’t be allowed in combat roles in the military and has also been accused of fostering a sexist work environment and pursuing sexual relationships with female staffers at the veteran advocacy groups he led. His own mother called him “an abuser of women.” (She’s since gone on Fox News to take this back.) But don’t worry guys, he won’t drink — if confirmed! 

The other issue with Hegseth’s little pinky promise is that ultimatums are actually incredibly counterproductive for people struggling with addiction or pursuing sobriety. I would also argue that putting them in charge of the most powerful military in the world probably won’t help either. Or, as some social media users have so aptly put it:

Going into an AA meeting, raising my hand, and explaining that I have become the Secretary of Defense.

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— Moira Donegan (@moiradonegan.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 10:05 PM

Everyone who has witnessed addiction and recovery up close knows that sobriety always sticks when it is offered as a transactional gamble to get yourself out of embarrassment or trouble.

— Moira Donegan (@moiradonegan.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 10:15 PM

i promise if you put me in charge of the most powerful military in the world i will get my shit together i PROMISE https://t.co/ATcDPljFgW

— Kylie Cheung (@kylietcheung) December 4, 2024

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Wednesday that he needs “to be convinced [Hegseth is] not going to drink anymore. I know it sounds over-simplistic but I also think it contributes to all of his other problems, his substance abuse… Nobody wants a secretary of Defense that’s got a drinking problem.” Fair! Earlier, on Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told CBS News that “some of these articles” about Hegseth “are very disturbing.” He added, “He obviously has a chance to defend himself here, but some of this stuff is going to be difficult.” Graham also said he wants to “make sure that every young woman who joins the military feels respected and welcomed.” 

At the end of last month, of course, Graham deflected from reporters’ questions about the allegations against Hegseth by raising the sexual assault allegation against President Biden. (No mention of Trump’s dozens of sexual misconduct allegations, or a jury finding him civilly liable for sexual abuse in 2023, though.) Other Senate Republicans seemed set on defending Hegseth until this week, too: Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) previously wrote off the rape allegation as “two people flirting with each other.” GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska told the Washington Post he saw Hegseth and Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Florida) nominations as a “strong” combination. 

But the temperature around Hegseth is changing quickly. Mullin told the Hill on Wednesday that he now sees Hegseth’s nomination as “difficult but doable,” which is hardly optimistic. NBC News reported on Tuesday that at least six unnamed GOP senators are “not comfortable” confirming Hegseth, but… if Trump’s first term showed us anything, it’s that supposedly reasonable, moderate Republicans will do a lot of things they’re “not comfortable” with to appease Trump and stay in office. Meanwhile, the best defense of Hegseth that Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) could scrape together is that alcoholism and violence against women are standard fare among politicians: “That would not be novel in Washington, D.C.,” he told the Hill.

By Wednesday night, the Hill reported that Hegseth’s nomination is “sinking fast,” citing hard no’s from Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY). An unnamed senator told the outlet, “I don’t know that there’s a real clear path” and warned that their colleagues “are very apprehensive” about the nomination. Still, Hegseth and the Trump transition team remain publicly adamant about his nomination. Hegseth wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday afternoon, accusing the media of a “manufactured media takedown” of him. Meanwhile, despite publicly standing with Hegseth, the Trump team is reportedly eying Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as a replacement. Hmm!

Obviously, the person in charge of the U.S. military probably shouldn’t be an alcoholic. But it’s predictable and gross that the same Senate Republicans who backed Brett Kavanaugh and legally recognized sexual abuser Donald Trump don’t seem to care about rape allegations.