Ah, the smell of desperation—and no, I’m not talking about the baseless claims against Pete Hegseth. NBC News’ hit piece on President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary is a textbook example of a media smear campaign disguised as journalism. Ten unnamed sources? Allegations about smelling alcohol? Complaints about him being hungover? It’s almost laughable—if it weren’t so transparently timed to derail Hegseth’s Senate confirmation.
Let’s start with the obvious: anonymous sources are the lifeblood of modern hit jobs. According to NBC, a few of Hegseth’s former and current colleagues claim he showed up smelling like a barroom floor during his time as co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend. But funny enough, not a single one of these sources put their name on the record. Instead, NBC cobbles together vague accusations and throws them out into the public sphere, expecting us to take them at face value. Where’s the evidence? Where’s the corroboration? Oh, right—there isn’t any.
Meanwhile, Hegseth’s actual colleagues—those who worked shoulder-to-shoulder with him every week—are coming out swinging. Will Cain, his long-time co-host, didn’t mince words: “100 percent bullst,” he wrote. And just in case NBC didn’t get the message, Cain offered himself as the “only on-the-record source” they’d find. Rachel Campos-Duffy backed him up, calling NBC’s story “horsest” and demanding a correction. These are the people who sat next to Hegseth for hours on end, week after week. Forgive me if I take their word over some unnamed, faceless sources.
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
But here’s where it gets even more insidious. NBC’s report doesn’t claim Hegseth ever missed work because of drinking or was impaired on air. Nope, their entire argument boils down to some supposed whiffs of alcohol and casual talk about hangovers. Even if this were true—which it clearly isn’t—how does it disqualify him from being defense secretary? Last I checked, running the Pentagon isn’t a sobriety contest, and these allegations have nothing to do with his qualifications for the role.
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
And let’s not ignore the broader context. Hegseth is a staunch conservative, a decorated veteran, and an unapologetic advocate for Trump’s America First agenda. Of course, the establishment media and their allies are pulling out all the stops to tank his nomination. The timing of this report—right as his confirmation hearings loom—reeks of political sabotage. This isn’t journalism; it’s character assassination.
To top it off, NBC even dragged Hegseth’s mother into the fray. Penelope Hegseth went on record to denounce decades-old accusations against her son, including claims he abused women while overseeing charitable veterans organizations. She rightly condemned the media for twisting a private letter she wrote years ago and accused outlets like The New York Times of pressuring her for statements to fuel their narrative. If that’s not despicable, what is?
At its core, this smear campaign reflects the media’s broader war against Trump and his allies. They can’t attack Hegseth’s qualifications directly—he’s an Ivy League-educated military veteran with years of leadership experience. So, they resort to cheap gossip and anonymous accusations to create a cloud of doubt. It’s a tired playbook, and Americans are getting wise to it.
The truth is, this has nothing to do with whether Pete Hegseth had a glass of wine before bed five years ago. It’s about preserving the status quo and stopping Trump from putting proven patriots in positions of power. If NBC News thinks this stunt will work, they’re underestimating the resilience of Hegseth, Trump, and their supporters. Let the Senate hearings proceed, and let’s focus on the real issues—because this manufactured scandal is nothing more than hot air.
