In a somewhat shocking moment on CNN after President-elect Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee, Pete Hegseth, visited Capitol Hill yet again on Tuesday, December 10, former Fox News Personality Geraldo Rivera, a former co-worker of Pete Hegseth’s, backed him in full force. Given Geraldo’s generally liberal views, the endorsement came as a bit of a surprise.
As background, concerns about Hegseth’s alleged drinking problem, one he denies remains an issue, and his alleged treatment of women, allegations he and others say are false, have led to the Senate indicating it is suspicious of his nomination and might not approve him. Paired with concerns about if he has enough leadership and executive experience to lead the Pentagon, that could be fatal to his nomination, and so he has been making the rounds to drum up support and address concerns.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump backed Hegseth fully, saying, “Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe. He was a great student – Princeton/Harvard educated – with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!”
In any case, Rivera, appearing on CNN to speak about the subjects of Pete Hegseth’s character and his nomination, had nothing but good things to say about him. Particularly, he noted that Hegseth’s former brothers in arms, his fellow combat veterans, are hugely in favor of him, and that is a good sign as to his character and bravery.
Geraldo said, kicking off his comments with a reference to Hegseth’s troubles, “I know Pete, Major Pete, I call him, pretty well. Being on Fox & Friends weekend for those many years, sitting on the couch with him, sharing the couch, been out with him. I thought, as Scott mentions, that he was on the ropes for a lot of the stuff coming up.”
Continuing, Rivera pointed to what Hegseth’s fellow veterans have said about him and his courage on the battlefield. He said, “But then Pete did something, Major Pete did something that I think is the difference between a combat veteran and the rest of the world. What Pete did was go to his combat brothers, and it was they who started speaking out on his behalf, talking about his courage, talking about how he never allowed his men to get in front of him in a hot zone.”
Geraldo added that that sort of bravery in the line of fire and willingness to put others first is the sort of thing that the Pentagon, known mainly for being a bureaucratic hell with a revolving door into lobbying positions at the big defense contractors, needs. He said, “I think that’s what the Defense Department needs. That’s what the Pentagon needs.”
Continuing, Rivera snapped that Mr. Hegseth’s record of bravery means that those in the DC Swamp criticizing Hegseth out to be quiet and respect military service. He said, “And I think that realization swept subtly, but I think with growing momentum, through Washington, D.C., that if you haven’t served the country in combat, then shut up. Or, you know, you better respect the people who have.”
Watch Geraldo here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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