Conservative radio host Ben Ferguson criticized liberal activist Francesca Fiorentini, who accused President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, of rape.
A woman accused Hegseth of sexual assault in 2017, but Hegseth and her accuser reached a settlement with the veteran’s attorney in 2020. states Hegseth said he chose to settle the case to avoid the risk that the allegations would negatively impact his career at Fox News. Fiorentini said,Piers Morgan uncensoredMr. Ferguson claimed that Ms. Hegseth was a rapist, said that Ms. Hegseth was a terrible person and that he hoped the veteran would sue her for the defamatory comments. (Related article: Scott Jennings defends Hegseth, reminds CNN Panel America: ‘I simply voted against the anticipated Washington nomination’)
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“Can I just say that I think Pete Hegseth would actually be a good choice to oversee the U.S. military? I think we have a lot in common, like being similar to the U.S. military. Pete Hegseth is someone else. We don’t practice consent when we rape and pillage people,” Fiorentini said. “And I think the U.S. military does the same thing. They rape and pillage other countries.”
Mr. Ferguson responded.
“God, you’re such a disgusting person. I hope he sue you for this. I really do. I hope he sue you for libel and libel. You deserve to be sued right now for what you just said,” Ferguson said. “And I hope they get rid of you. I’m sick of you. You’re a disgusting person to say something like that about someone when you don’t know anything. Just being on TV and saying something like that about someone is disgusting.” It’s disgusting that you take no responsibility for calling someone a rapist. You’re a sick person.”
A police report on the incident said witnesses did not believe the woman who accused Hegseth appeared to be intoxicated before or after the sexual encounter. She claimed she did not remember how she returned to his hotel room with him from the bar or the details of their tryst, possibly because she had been drugged or drunk.
Hegseth’s lawyer maintained They argued that their encounter was consensual and that the accusation amounted to de facto blackmail.
CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten said Wednesday that it was almost a miracle that Hegseth would be confirmed as President Trump’s secretary of defense. He noted that Hegseth’s confirmation odds are currently lower than those of Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration as the president-elect’s attorney general nominee.
“If you really think it would take a little miracle, a little ‘Hurray Mary’ for it to actually get approved by the U.S. Senate, those are the odds. The bottom line is this: Bettors are heavily against Pete Hegseth,” Enten said. “You can do it in whatever language you want, and you can say, ‘Oh, no, no,’ for these 12 percent. Could that happen? Well, maybe. But this person is probably confirmed as the next Secretary of Defense. It won’t.”
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