The attempt to remove Brett Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court has begun now that Pete Hegseth is almost certain to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense after President Donald Trump’s Inauguration. On Tuesday, NBC News published a piece in which they accused Hegseth, claiming that he had abused his second wife and made her “fear for her life.” Other media outlets quickly followed suit, publishing similar stories based on an affidavit provided by Hegseth’s former sister-in-law.
Before we reveal the shocking news, here’s a sample of headlines that will make your blood boil:
This seems to be a serious matter. This is because the source has made it public, which makes this claim more credible than most of today’s press claims. Hegseth must be sunk by this, right?
Hegseth’s second wife denies the accusations and threatens to involve her lawyer.
Politico, on the other hand, omitted the detail entirely. NBC News had conveniently left it out of the headline and their social media posts about the story.
No, I am not a journalist, but I would think that if the person who is the subject of the abuse claims that the story you have written is complete nonsense and that she will get her attorney involved, this should be a good enough reason for the story to be withdrawn. If this was a Democrat in the situation, this would never have been reported by these outlets. Like the Steele dossier, however, the press uses this affidavit to spread false and salacious information to hurt a Republican.
I’d suggest that’s no excuse, though. This affidavit was leaked, and if Hegseth’s ex-wife is saying it’s false information, then there’s zero reason it should be pushed into the public sphere by the press. Keep in mind, this isn’t even coming from the sister of the ex-wife in question. It’s coming from his brother’s ex-wife. What’s her connection to any of this? What’s her political leanings? Why is she claiming this stuff just days before Hegseth’s confirmation and not years ago?
It’s the same playbook as Kavanaugh, but it won’t work. This story was embarrassing for the press, who rushed straight into a brick wall to get cheap clicks. It is not my place to defend them. They can continue to burn their credibility and prove to the American people that they made the correct choice by re-electing Donald Trump.
