Megyn Kelly makes bombshell admission about Trump defence pick Pete Hegseth, says she doesn't 'recommend marrying' him
Megyn Kelly has spoken out in light of sexual assault allegations levelled against President-elect Donald Trump's defence pick Pete Hegseth.
Megyn Kelly has spoken out in light of sexual assault allegations levelled against President-elect Donald Trump's defence pick Pete Hegseth.
Appearing on the Charlie Kirk Show, Kelly, 54, who co-worked with Hegseth, 44, at Fox News, shared her thoughts on the accusations.
According to a recently released police report from the City of Monterey, California, a woman in her 30s was enjoying champagne with colleagues during a business trip when things turned “fuzzy” and she unexpectedly found herself in a room with Hegseth.
Timothy Parlatore, Hegseth's attorney, dismissed the accusations as “baseless” and equivalent to a “successful extortion,” acknowledging that his client paid the woman to stay mum because he did not want to lose his job.
Megyn Kelly says she doesn't ‘recommend marrying’ Hegseth
On being asked about the “smear campaign” against Hegseth, Kelly, who claimed to be “the reason” for him to become contributor to Fox News, acknowledged that she doesn't “recommend marrying” him.
“I'm gonna be honest, like looking at his marital history, it's not an example of fidelity. Ok, so I'm just gonna be honest and admit that upfront,” she said about an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who got a number of military honors.
Also Read: A look at Donald Trump's Cabinet picks accused of sexual misconduct
Megyn Kelly explains Hegseth' case as she speaks out against accuser
Despite saying this, the former NBC News anchor stood up for Hegseth, who has received two Bronze Stars.
“However, having difficulty in one's personal relationship, especially after having served two tours - which it's not uncommon for these combat vets to come back and not be able to navigate their love lives all that well - is much different than being a rapist,” she continued.
Kelly went on to say that she found the woman's claims that Hegseth abused her on October 8, 2017 suspicious, adding that “this woman's story smells terribly.”
As Kelly cautioned that press coverage of these claims will not provide the “facts,” she shares Parlator's belief that the purported assault did not take place.
She then delved into the police report, claiming that the woman was spending her time with Hegseth in a pub while her husband and kids “were down the hotel room hall.”
She further stated that others stated that the accuser “was flirting with him” after the Republican women's convention.
Megyn Kelly insists accuser was ‘totally fine’
Citing those who were present in the pub that evening, she said that the woman had only one glass of champagne, stressing that she “was fine, she wasn't stumbling, she wasn't slurring.”
“Pete was drunk. She was fine,” she stated.
Later, Hegseth and his accuser were caught on camera exiting the pool and returning to the hotel after the alleged assault, Kelly remarked, as per the police report.
“Their arms are locked like a boyfriend and girlfriend might be. She's smiling, she does not appear drunk,” she added.
On returning to her hotel room she was texting her spouse, Kelly noted, explaining that she did not sound like she was “intoxicated”.
Hegseth has not been listed as a defendant in any civil litigation or an accused in any criminal prosecution. However, he got divorced from his second wife at the time of rape allegation.
