Trump’s Pick for Defense Secretary Faces Serious Allegations, Including Islamophobic Chant and Personal Misconduct. Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is facing serious accusations, including allegedly chanting “Kill all Muslims” during a drunken incident at a veterans’ event in 2015 and accusations of personal misconduct in 2017.
The report claims that Hegseth, while on a work trip in Ohio on May 29, 2015, became intoxicated at a hotel bar during a gathering of the group Concerned Veterans for America and repeatedly yelled, “Kill all Muslims.” In response to the allegations, Hegseth’s attorney, Tim Parlatore, dismissed the report, accusing The New Yorker of promoting “outlandish claims” from a disgruntled former associate.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim advocacy group in the U.S., strongly condemned Hegseth’s actions and called for Congress to reject his nomination. CAIR’s National Executive Director, Nihad Awad, stated that someone who would “call for the slaughter of all members of a faith” is unfit to hold a position involving interactions with Muslim-majority countries.
In addition to the Islamophobic allegations, The New Yorker reported that Hegseth faced accusations of sexual misconduct, including a 2017 settlement with a woman who accused him of rape. Hegseth had previously been forced to step down from leadership roles at two veteran nonprofit organizations due to financial mismanagement and personal misconduct, according to the publication.
Despite these allegations, President Trump is standing by his nominee. Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, defended Hegseth, emphasizing that the former Fox News anchor has not been charged with any crimes.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed concern over the allegations, particularly the reports of Hegseth’s drinking. Blumenthal stressed that the Secretary of Defense must be free from any incapacitation that could pose risks to national security, referencing the 1989 Senate rejection of John Tower for similar issues. Blumenthal stated, “We can’t afford to take risks when it comes to life-and-death issues like nuclear weapons and sending troops into combat.”
Confirmation hearings for Trump’s Cabinet nominees are set to begin on January 3, 2025, though a specific date for Hegseth’s hearing has not yet been set.
