Dr Nicole Saphier, a prominent Fox News contributor, has strongly defended her colleague Pete Hegseth following an NBC News report alleging concerns about his on-air conduct. Saphier, known for her regular appearances on ‘Fox & Friends’, dismissed the claims on social media, saying she has never witnessed any unprofessional behaviour from Hegseth during their years of working together.
Taking to platform X, formerly Twitter, Saphier wrote: “I have routinely sat on the couch with @PeteHegseth for 8 years. Not once did I suspect he had consumed anything other than an egg sandwich and coffee before going on air.”
Her statement follows NBC News’s report citing “10 current and former Fox employees” who alleged smelling alcohol on Hegseth before broadcasts, a claim Saphier, along with other Fox personalities, has categorically denied.
Will Cain, a current cohost of Fox & Friends, described the allegations as “horses***” on X, while fellow cohost Rachel Campos-Duffy echoed similar sentiments, criticising NBC for relying on anonymous sources and not reaching out to Hegseth’s closest colleagues.
Campos-Duffy stated, “The losers at NBC News never reached out to me either… You now have 2 people who sat next to him 8+ hours a week on the record.”
Other Fox News contributors have also rallied behind Hegseth. Guy Benson, Joey Jones, and Lisa Boothe all dismissed the claims as baseless, with Boothe calling the report a “malicious smear.”
Piers Morgan, a frequent guest on Fox & Friends, also lent his voice in support, describing Hegseth as “utterly professional on camera and a nice, respectful guy off it.”
The controversy has surfaced at a pivotal moment for Hegseth, who has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next US Secretary of Defense.
A Trump transition spokesperson categorically denied the allegations, describing them as “disgusting” and politically motivated attacks against a “decorated combat veteran.”
As the controversies around Pete Hegseth continue to mount, Trump is reportedly considering replacing Hegseth with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as his pick for secretary of defence, reported the Wall Street Journal.