In one of the more horrific moments to come from the Senate’s introductory confirmation hearing with Pete Hegseth, the Army combat veteran and former Fox News Channel personality who President-elect Donald Trump has picked to be his incoming administration’s Secretary of Defense, Democratic Senator from Virginia Tim Kaine attacked Hegseth by invoking his young daughter.
That came as the two argued over Mr. Hegseth’s past record, particularly as regards his status as a thrice-married man who met his current wife, his third, while cheating on his second wife. Sen. Kaine, many argued, crossed a line when he invoked Mr. Hegseth’s young daughter, who was conceived during his period of infidelity.
Broaching the matter, Sen. Kaine snapped, “At that time, you were still married to your second wife, correct? And you had just fathered a child by a woman who would later become your third wife, correct?” Responding, Hegseth said, “Senator, I was falsely charged, fully investigated and completely cleared.”
Snapping back at him, the failed vice presidential candidate from 2016 said, “So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime?” He continued, again invoking Hegseth’s daughter, “That’s your definition of cleared. You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife.”
Continuing and repeatedly invoking the young girl to score political points, Sen, Kaine said, “I am shocked that you would stand here and say you’re completely cleared. Can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child who had been born two months before? And you tell us you are completely cleared? How is that completely cleared?”
Hegseth wasn’t having it. Firing back and defending his daughter, Mr. Hegseth said, “Senator, her child’s name is Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth, and she’s a child of God. She’s 7 years old, and I am glad she’s here.” Kaine, continuing, said, “And you cheated on the mother of that child. Less than two months after that daughter was born, didn’t you?”
Hegseth told Kaine those were “false charges.” He further added, commenting on the matter of his rocky past and repeated marital infidelity, saying that he admits he has done poorly by some people but is thankful to now be a saved Christian, saying, “I have failed in things in my life and thankfully I’m redeemed by my Lord and savior Jesus Christ.” Watch their exchange here:
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Predictably, commenters on X (formerly Twitter) reacted with severe fury to Kaine’s use of Hegseth’s daughter against him. Drew Hernandez, for example, the conservative investigative reporter and personality, wrote, “Senator Tim Kaine really did try to use Pete Hegseth’s 7 year old daughter against him, despicable.”
Similarly, the End Wokeness X account wrote, “Sen. Tim Kaine is trying to smear Pete Hegseth by bringing in his 7-year-old daughter… sick.” And, noting how ridiculous it was that Sen. Kaine was pretending to care about fidelity, another account wrote, “IRONY ALERT: Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) tries to lecture Pete Hegseth on adultery. Reminder that Tim Kaine ran on the same failed presidential ticket as Hillary Clinton, legal wife of Bill Clinton.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video