Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., invoked secretary of Protection nominee Pete Hegseth’s daughter throughout a heated listening to, prompting pushback from conservatives on social media who argued that the feedback crossed a line.
“So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime?” the previous vice presidential candidate stated to Hegseth throughout his Senate affirmation listening to on Tuesday.
“That’s your definition of cleared. You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife. 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?”
Kaine was commenting on Hegseth’s conduct in earlier marriages, together with an October 2017 incident in Monterey, California, by which Hegseth was accused of sexual assault. Hegseth, a former Fox Information host, was later cleared of wrongdoing following an investigation, and has since described the incident as consensual. “I was fully investigated and completely cleared,” he stated of the allegation.
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Sen. Tim Kaine and SecDef nominee Pete Hegseth at Senate affirmation listening to. (Getty Pictures)
“Senator, her child’s name is Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth, and she’s a child of God,” Hegseth responded. “She’s 7 years old, and I am glad she’s here.”
“And you cheated on the mother of that child,” Kaine responded. “Less than two months after that daughter was born, didn’t you?”
Hegseth advised Kaine these had been “false charges” and reiterated that he was “completely cleared” and “grateful” to the wedding he has to the “amazing woman” behind him.
Kaine persevered, “You’ve admitted that you had sex at that hotel in October 2017. You said it was consensual. Isn’t that correct?”
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Pete Hegseth gestures throughout his Senate Armed Providers Committee affirmation listening to. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Pictures)
The 2 continued to shuttle on the veracity of the claims towards Hegseth, with Kaine urgent the nominee on whether or not he honored his wedding ceremony vow.
“I will allow your words to speak for themselves,” Hegseth stated at one level.
“As I’ve acknowledged to everyone in this committee, I’m not a perfect person. I’m not claiming to be,” Hegseth stated earlier than being lower off by Kaine, who went on to accuse Hegseth of withholding details about the accusation when being vetted by the Trump staff.
Kaine finally moved on to questioning Hegseth about his relationship with ingesting and different allegations that Hegseth has dismissed as “false.”
Conservatives on social media, together with Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., at one other level within the listening to, took subject with Kaine’s line of questioning, notably invoking Hegseth’s daughter.
“Senator Tim Kaine really did try to use Pete Hegseth’s 7 year old daughter against him, despicable,” conservative commentator Drew Hernandez posted on X.
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Sen. Tim Kaine (Getty Pictures)
“IRONY ALERT: Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) tries to lecture Pete Hegseth on adultery,” The First TV posted on X. “Reminder that Tim Kaine ran on the same failed presidential ticket as Hillary Clinton, legal wife of Bill Clinton.”
“Tim Kaine has a lot to say about Pete Hegseth’s conduct during his marriage,” Article III Venture senior counsel Will Chamberlain posted on X. “Here’s Tim Kaine campaigning with Doug Emhoff, who – while married – impregnated his nanny and forced her to get an abortion.”
Fox Information Digital reached out to Kaine’s workplace for remark however didn’t instantly obtain a response.
Fox Information Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report
