Hegseth Slams 'manufactured Media Takedown' Of Him In Wsj Op-ed

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Defense Department, condemned the press for what he described as a "manufactured media takedown" of him.

"The press is peddling anonymous story after anonymous story, all meant to smear me and tear me down. It’s a textbook manufactured media takedown," the military veteran wrote in an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

The former Fox News host has come under fire related to allegations of sexual assault connected to an encounter he says was consensual, and previous comments he’s made about not allowing women to be in combat roles in the military. He's also faced excessive drinking allegations. The New Yorker reported Sunday that Hegseth was forced to step down by two nonprofit advocacy groups he ran due to mismanagement of funds, sexual impropriety and excessive drinking and NBC News reported Tuesday that Hegseth’s drinking worried colleagues at Fox News, where he was a weekend host until earlier this month. 

A New York Times story published last week reported that Hegseth’s mother sent him an email in 2018 accusing him of “routinely mistreating women for years” and displaying a “lack of character.”

In a phone interview with The Times, his mother, Penelope Hegseth, said that she sent a follow-up message at the time apologizing for her original email, claiming she sent the email “in anger, with emotion” when her son and his wife were going through a divorce.

“It is not true. It has never been true,” she told The Times. “I know my son. He is a good father, husband,” she added, also saying the email getting published was “disgusting.”

Hegseth has maintained that he won’t back down amid the backlash and reinforced that notion in his op-ed. He faces an uphill battle toward Senate confirmation.

Hegseth was set to meet with Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), James E. Risch (R-Idaho) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) on Tuesday. Just four Republican senators would be needed to side with all Senate Democrats and sink his nomination.

"I have never backed down from a fight and won’t back down from this one. I am grateful President-elect Trump chose me to lead the Defense Department, and I look forward to an honest confirmation hearing with our distinguished senators—not a show trial in the press," Hegseth wrote.