Republican President Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is having his secrets exposed by his former Fox News coworkers. After stories of his excessive drinking were shared by Fox personnel, now his food safety practices are being shared.
On Wednesday, during Fox News' Outnumbered, the hosts discussed the so-called "five-second rule" for food. The "rule" relates to eating food after it's been dropped on the floor.
The segment was prompted by recent scientific findings about how long it takes for bacteria to begin contaminating food—which is under one second—after it's dropped on the floor. Panelists then talked about cleanliness, germs, and parenting philosophies.
At one point, Fox host Joe Concha dropped a peeled banana—presumably on the studio floor—then he counted to five, picked it up, and took a big bite. His cohosts expressed disgust, but then Earhardt decided to share an anecdote about Hegseth.
Earhardt revealed:
"Pete Hegseth would have a bagel with cream cheese. He would drop it, it would land upside down, the cream cheese on the floor, and he would pick it up."
"I’m like, 'Wait, is there any hair on there? It is so gross, and he would just pop it in his mouth'."
You can see the clip here:
The Fox hosts also remembered when Hegseth said during a 2019 Fox & Friends segment that he never washes his hands.
Hegseth said:
"Really, I don’t really wash my hands, ever. I inoculate myself."
"It’s just not—germs are not a real thing. I can’t see them, therefore they’re not real."
After being pretty universally called out for his poor hygiene, Hegseth later claimed it was just a joke.
People found Hegseth's food safety practices as gross as his lack of personal hygiene.
While some found other habits Hegseth has more troubling.
The biggest threat for people eating off the floor is foodborne illnesses like norovirus, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and more.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the United States approximately 76 million people become ill from contaminated food, 325,000 require hospitalization, and 5,000 die.
Maybe Hegseth should consider abstaining from floor food.
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