Pete Hegseth's Past Comments About Hygiene Resurface After He's Caught On Video Running His Snotty Hands Through His Hair

Remarks about not having washed his hands "in 10 years" resurfaced after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was caught on video wiping his nose with his hands before immediately running those same hands through his hair.

Hegseth was seen doing just that while listening to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent deliver remarks. Footage went viral after it was shared by progressive journalist Aaron Rupar.

You can see what happened in the video below.

But then someone pointed out that Hegseth "does not wash anythiiiing," citing remarks he made in 2019 about how he hasn't washed his hands in a decade.

In 2019, Hegseth sparked disbelief when he said on Fox & Friends that he hadn’t washed his hands in a decade because he didn’t believe germs were real. He argued that because microorganisms couldn't be seen with the naked eye, they weren't real to him, joking that avoiding handwashing was his way of “inoculating” himself. The comments came after his co-hosts teased him for eating day-old pizza on air.

Hegseth later claimed his remarks should be taken as a joke, saying:

"We live in a society where people walk around with bottles of Purell [hand sanitizer] in their pockets, and they sanitize 19,000 times a day, as if that's going to save their life. I take care of myself and all that, but I don't obsess over everything all the time."

Given this extremely questionable remark, people are even more grossed out.

It seems Hegseth isn't alone in scoffing at germs.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—a notorious anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist—raised eyebrows several months ago when he admitted he is "not scared of a germ" because he "used to snort cocaine off toilet seats."

However, germs are very real, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says proper handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of disease. It recommends washing hands with soap and clean, running water whenever possible. When soap and water aren’t available, the CDC advises using hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.