Matt Gaetz could not handle the pressure and resigned from the nomination that President-elect Donald Trump had made for the position of Attorney General. It is said that he acknowledged he did not have the support of Republican senators due to multiple allegations of sexual assault against him. Now, the focus is on Pete Hegseth, nominated for the Secretary of Defense. The former Fox News host is also embroiled in a scandal after police revealed sexual assault allegations against him, so the big question is, will he resign like Gaetz did?
The Associated Press (AP) reported that this Wednesday the police revealed that a woman accused Hegseth of sexually assaulting her in October 2017, after a Republican women's event in Monterey. The accuser stated that he took her phone, blocked the door, and prevented her from leaving.
The woman's identity has not been revealed, but she helped Pete Hegseth organize the Federation of Republican Women of California. The woman said that everything became confusing after she went with him and others to the hotel bar. Before that, she had already confronted him, telling him that she "did not like how he treated women" because he touched them inappropriately.
The researchers received the first report of this case from a nurse who claimed to have treated the woman after a sexual assault.
"The patient told medical staff that she believed she had been assaulted five days earlier, but could not remember much about what had happened. She reported that something could have been put in her drink before ending up in the hotel room where she said the assault took place," says AP.
As evidence, the police took the underwear and dress that the alleged victim was wearing on the day of the alleged assault, as she had not washed them.
Pete Hegseth responds to sexual assault accusation
According to AP, Pete Hegseth denied the sexual assault accusation and stated that it was consensual sex. His lawyer expressed that the U.S. army veteran paid the woman in 2023 to avoid the threat of an unfounded lawsuit.
"It's very simple... The matter was thoroughly investigated, and I was completely cleared, and that's where I'll leave it," stated Hegseth, 44, to reporters at Capitol Hill, as reported by The Post.
Despite his words, the controversy persists, mainly because the police have not stated that the allegations are false. Will Pete Hegseth withstand the pressure? Will he have the support of Republican senators to confirm him as Secretary of Defense? Will he resign like Matt Gaetz did when he saw he had no support from the senators?