Pete Hegseth sure is one special little snowflake when challenged on the hypocrisy of his performative outrage over vaccine mandates.
Apparently there was some MAGAfest called the "Patriot Awards," and Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin somehow managed to get Hegseth to talk to him after the event. McLaughlin nailed him down with the cunning use of "facts" and "logic," and the man allergic to hand-washing did not like this at all.
"There was a vaccine or test requirement at the Patriot Awards, which is very similar to the policy at Fox News. Do you have an issue with Fox News having a policy like that, which is effectively the same as Biden's vaccine mandate for big businesses?" asked McLaughlin.
Appearing a bit caught off guard, Hegseth attempted to lie about the similarities of the policies, and adopt an "I just work here" stance.
"I, uh, you're not mandating vaccines, you can get a test," Hegseth asserted, none too convincingly. "I'm not in charge of it. I don't make the calls, but either you have the option to get a test, so it's not actually a complete vaccine mandate, and that's fine. It's not my call, so, I'm grateful for the people who provide us this opportunity, and the show went off without a hitch."
Gotta keep getting that sweet, sweet Murdoch money, amirite, Pete?
McLaughlin, though, took the completely unfair and unethical journalistic road, calling attention to an inconsistency in Hegseth's answer that came out of Hegseth's own mouth. I mean, the nerve!
"Right. But it's just that Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for big businesses has been the subject of criticism, and that's even less stringent than the one at Fox News, right?" asked McLaughlin. He even gave something called a "specific example" to "back up" his claim. "It requires weekly testing as opposed to daily testing, so I'm curious as to why you have an issue with the Joe Biden vaccine mandate, but no problem with the one at Fox News."
This was too much for Hegseth.
Stunned, he responded (after a moment of awkward silence,) "What do you want me to say?"
More pained silence.
"I mean, ultimately companies have prerogatives. What the government shouldn't be doing is telling them what to do. The government shouldn't be telling them what to do. Every company has its own policies, and I'm beyond grateful for the opportunity to work at Fox News Channel," Hegseth sputtered, making sure Boss Man knows he loves his paycheck job.
Then, before our very eyes, Hegseth literally aged backwards 35 years, becoming a genuine six-year-old tantrum-throwing child.
"And it does things that no other organization does, including your organization, Mediaite, which is part of the trash heap of left-wing media that does the same thing that everyone else does. That's why we're number one. I mean, I can't even imagine what the clicks are on your site. Is it, like, fifteen people a day? Like only journalists in New York City that click on your --"
"Sixteen," McLaughlin corrected.
"Sixteen. Good. They're the only people that read Mediaite, the actual --"
McLaughlin interjected with the question, "Does that include you, Pete?" but that didn't deter BabyPete.
"--people read the Fox News Channel. So, you guys wanna nit pick and do your thing, it's cool, but I could not be more grateful for the Fox News Channel!" Hegseth spat.
I'm told Hegseth gathered up his blanket and juicebox, but before he left he told McLaughlin that his dad made more money than McLaughlin's dad. Sadly, the video cuts out before that final exchange.
