On today’s show: There is mounting concern about Pete Hegseth’s nomination for secretary of defense after the New Yorker’s Jane Mayer dropped more bombshell allegations about the former Fox News host. Here’s everything we know. Karen DeYoung with the Washington Post explains why the U.S. is closely watching South Korea’s political chaos. And one country’s sweeping plan to stop kids from using social media — will it work? Plus, the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, the final outstanding House race is called for Democrats, and a tool to get rid of the jingle you can’t stop humming. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.
Full Episode
Good morning. It's Thursday, December 5th. I'm Gideon Resnick in Versamita, Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, explaining the political turmoil in South Korea, one country's sweeping plan to stop kids from using social media, and the final House race of the 2024 election has been called.
But first, Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill yesterday amid a storm of controversy. A number of damaging stories have emerged since he was selected for the role, leading to concerns from some Republican senators and questions about his future.
Trump's team has publicly defended him, and Hegseth said that Trump told him that he had his support. Let's recap how we got to this moment. The first allegation came from a woman who said Hegseth sexually assaulted her in a hotel in Monterey, California, seven years ago.
She said she doesn't remember much, but remembers saying no, and alleges that Hegseth prevented her from leaving his hotel room. That's all according to a police report that was filed at the time. Hegseth was never charged, but he did pay the woman a settlement and maintains it was consensual. Yesterday, he was asked about the incident on The Megyn Kelly Show.
Did you rape a woman in a hotel in Monterey? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I've been honest about that encounter, starting with law enforcement, from the beginning. I may have been drinking, but I was cognizant enough to remember every single detail. And I'm not... here to say that my conduct was good. Being in a hotel room with someone that's not the person you're with is not okay.
I own up to that. Another allegation of bad behavior came from his mother. Last Friday, the New York Times reported that Hegseth's mother had sent her son an email in 2018 accusing him of mistreating women. At the time, Hegseth was going through a divorce. His mom's email reads, quote, I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, and sleeps around.
Yesterday, she appeared on Fox News to clear up those comments.
I want people to look at Pete and judge people or understand him for who he is today. Pete is a new person. He's redeemed, forgiven, changed. I think we all are after seven years.
Then, this week, Jane Mayer, chief Washington correspondent for The New Yorker, reported that Hegseth was forced out of previous leadership positions for, quote, financial mismanagement, sexist behavior, and being repeatedly intoxicated on the job. The allegations are based on a whistleblower report and other internal emails. Here's Mayer on CNN.
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