Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Old Clip Of Pete Hegseth Slamming Trump As 'All Bluster' Resurfaces—And Now It's Awkward

Pete Hegseth; Donald Trump
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images; Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

An old clip of Pete Hegseth calling out Donald Trump for being "all bluster" and hypocritical for criticizing John McCain has resurfaced.

Make us preferred on Google

Over the past few weeks, President-elect Donald Trump has been announcing his choices for his 2nd presidential administration. His choice for Secretary of Defense is Fox News host Pete Hegseth.

But a resurfaced video of Hegseth sharing his thoughts during the 2016 presidential campaign may sour his popularity with Trump and his MAGA minions.


On Tuesday, CNN correspondent Andrew Kaczynski shared his findings about Hegseth on OutFront.

Kaczynski reported:

"He was harshly, harshly critical of Trump in the 2016 Republican primary for lacking national security experience."
"He mocked Trump for relying on the cable news for military advice. He attacked Trump for opposing the Iraq War. He attacked Trump for saying the U.S. shouldn’t have gone into Afghanistan. And then Trump reversed himself on that."

Then the video of Hegseth from August 2015 was played.

Hegseth: Typical Trump. All bluster, very low substance… he’s an armchair tough guy. This is a guy who said that John McCain is not a war hero yet he sought his own five military deferments

[image or embed]
— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) December 3, 2024 at 7:37 PM


In it, Hegseth said:

"You wouldn’t want a top-tier presidential candidate getting all of their military advice from watching Meet the Press. There’s a lot more nuance. There’s a lot more detail."
"Foreign policy and national security is not about TV shows… They’re gonna have to walk back a little bit from this idea that he gets it from the political shows."

In a separate video of Hegseth from March 2016, he said of Trump:

"It’s typical Trump, all bluster, very little substance."
"He talks a tough game. But then when pressed on it, he’s an armchair tough guy."
"I hate to say it, but this is a guy, who said that John McCain is not a war hero. Yet he sought his own five military deferments."

People were unsurprised to find hypocrisy and a lack of integrity in a Trump cabinet nominee.

GOP before tRump won the nomination in 2016 told truths about who Trump really is. That same GOP is following him to implement a fascist dictatorship.
— Reggie Meneses, E-RYT 500, YACEP (@justsayreg.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 9:52 AM



Trump is selecting people who have not earned their way to the top. He also like a certain appearance that Fox news also likes. He likes if the person is vulnerable so easily manipulated. Much like Trump himself is beholden to Putin.
— Chris Reed (@eeesq.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 9:53 AM



Trump especially loves the guys who eventually come around to kiss the ring.
— The Moderate Liberal (@themoderate.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 9:10 AM



They all despise Trump—every single one of his picks, from Vance on down. That’s the silver lining: respect can’t be bought.
— aka stardust (@akastardust.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 6:59 AM



Well that should be enough for him to fall out of favor
— StuffbyStef🐚🌊🪸✍🏻 (@stephaniebumpus.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 10:55 AM



I know that video was from 8 years ago, but how do you go from criticizing him to kissing his ass. I'm trying to figure out what kind of brain washing they doing. It's like the Invasion of the Body Snatchers or something.
— Justin Richmond (@10thletter.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 1:57 AM



Republicans seem to stand for nothing and fall for anything. They have no integrity, no morals, no values. Everything is subject to change in service to Trump.
— Noelle Schultz (@nrvschultz.bsky.social) December 3, 2024 at 9:20 PM


The cool thing about serving in a Trump administration is you don’t need any convictions of your own— the boss has enough to go around.
— George Spiggott (@gspiggott.bsky.social) December 3, 2024 at 9:14 PM

Hegseth—like many of Trump's choices—has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. But the Fox & Friends weekend cohost has other obstacles to Senate confirmation to overcome.

He also faces allegations of sexual assault, documented Islamophobic comments, mismanagement of two veterans organizations, alcohol abuse, criticism over his treatment of women by his own mother, and a series of failed marriages due to infidelity.

None of those are likely to bother Trump.

But calling Trump "an armchair tough guy" just might.

More from People/donald-trump

Screenshots of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
@aoc/Instagram

AOC Uses Midterm Election To Perfectly Explain Where 'Millennial Cringe' Comes From To Gen Z

New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez broke down where so-called "millennial cringe" comes from to Gen Z voters after Democrats swept midterm election races to win back both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in a clear repudiation of the Trump administration.

The term "millennial cringe" has gained popularity among Gen Z to mock the optimistic Internet culture of the 2010s. Ocasio-Cortez said "millennial cringe" is understandable when you consider the impact millennials had by electing Barack Obama, who became the nation's first Black president.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump and Dominic Waghorn
@DominicWaghorn/X

Reporter Goes Viral After Asking Absolutely Brutal Question To Trump Following Disastrous Midterms

Sky News reporter Dominic Waghorn went viral after he bluntly asked President Donald Trump what it feels like "to be a loser" after Democrats swept midterm election races to win back both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in a clear repudiation of the Trump administration.

Waghorn, the international affairs editor for Sky News, was among the reporters who gathered on the White House lawn to speak to the president following these historic losses.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Ted Cruz
Verdict with Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz Roasted After Making Hilariously Bleak Realization Following Texas Midterm Elections

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz was widely mocked after he realized he is the only statewide elected Republican left in his state after Democrats swept every statewide race, winning the governorship and a Senate seat for the first time in decades.

In Texas, the election between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton in the race for the U.S. Senate was over before Election Day even hit because Talarico received more early votes than Paxton received in total. Gina Hinojosa also stunned the country after beating Greg Abbott to become the first Latina to be elected to serve as governor of the state.

Keep ReadingShow less
Demi Lovato at the Airbnb.org Gala held at Milk Studios on October 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Katie Flores/WWD via Getty Images

Demi Lovato's Backlash-Sparking Criticism Of Artist Who Drew Her As Mermaid Resurfaces—And Fans Have Flipped Their Perspective

In 2016, Demi Lovato questioned why an artist had given her a smaller waist and bigger breasts in a mermaid illustration, and the internet had plenty to say about it. Now the drawing has resurfaced, and apparently, a decade was enough time for some people to reconsider.

Enter Vladimir Serbanescu, better known as VladyArt. The Romanian illustrator was only 17 and already making a name for himself with celebrity-inspired fantasy portraits. Then one of his subjects decided to weigh in.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @nataliemeansnice's TikTok
@nataliemeansnice/TikTok

Mom Goes Viral After Realizing She Spent Halloween Event With White Lips After Hilarious Mix-Up

Halloween is meant to be all fun and games, but people say, "Trick or treat!" for a reason!

Mom and TikToker Natalie Drue, or @nataliemeansnice on the social media platform, went to a candy-free trunk-or-treat event with her 2-year-old daughter, where they toured a variety of trunks presented by local businesses, corporations, and members of the neighborhood.

Keep ReadingShow less