Exclusive: Liquor Stash Photos Bolster NBC Report on Pete Hegseth Drinking Allegations
Social media posts discovered by MeidasTouch reveal Trump's Defense nominee stored bottles of alcohol in his office at work
Written by J.D. Wolf
Multiple social media posts reviewed by MeidasTouch reveal that Pete Hegseth maintained a liquor stash in his office for years. NBC News recently reported that "Pete Hegseth's drinking worried colleagues at Fox News," citing 10 current and former Fox News employees as sources.
NBC News stated that "Trump’s pick for defense secretary drank in ways that concerned his co-workers." Sources reported smelling alcohol on Hegseth before he went on air and hearing him talk about being hungover while preparing for broadcasts.
One source even claimed to have smelled alcohol on Hegseth as recently as last month. In response, the Trump transition team defended Hegseth, who has reportedly been trying to assure Republican Senators that he is fit to lead the military, even promising to abstain from drinking entirely after being sworn in.
During an appearance on the Megyn Kelly Show, Hegseth denied having a drinking problem and challenged anyone to “check the tape” for evidence of his alleged on-the-job drinking or personal issues with alcohol.
MeidasTouch took him up on that challenge, releasing footage of Hegseth drinking champagne directly from a bottle and participating in a champagne-filled dunk tank during a New Year’s Eve broadcast. Hegseth even allowed his children to sample the champagne in the dunk tank while on air, and Fox News promoted the segment on its website and social media platforms.
In addition, MeidasTouch has uncovered multiple social media posts from Hegseth’s own accounts that display a personal liquor stash in his Fox News office. While the exact contents of the dunk tank and bottles cannot be independently verified, the consistent presence of alcohol in Hegseth's workspace raises significant questions and bolsters the credibility of NBC's reporting.
March 5, 2024
In a video posted to Hegseth's Instagram account from his Fox News office, a liquor collection is clearly visible on top of a cooking appliance set on a glass-door mini refrigerator.
The collection appears to include eight bottles, accompanied by two drinking glasses.
September 15, 2023
Another Instagram video from Hegseth’s Fox News office provides a similar view of his liquor stash.
This video, combined with the earlier post, confirms that the stash was present in his office in both 2023 and 2024.
October 31, 2019
An Instagram post from Halloween 2019 offers another glimpse into Hegseth’s office, where he posed with his family dressed as superheroes. Hegseth, dressed as Superman, took a photo that revealed at least nine bottles in his office liquor stash. This post suggests that the stash has been present since at least 2019.
These posts collectively show that Hegseth’s liquor collection has been a feature of his office for a span of up to six years, from 2019 to 2024. Over time, the bottles in the collection appear to change, indicating consistent usage or replenishment.
This visual evidence lends additional credibility to the NBC News report, corroborating allegations from unnamed sources who claimed they smelled alcohol on Hegseth’s breath while he was working. Together, these findings paint a clearer picture of Hegseth’s work environment and the concerns raised by his colleagues.
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I wonder if they would be so tolerant if he smelled like weed all the time.
As a recovering alcoholic of 50 years’ sobriety in March, I belong to a group that eschews diagnosing someone as an alcoholic besides ourselves. With apologies to my friends, if this guy isn’t an alcoholic, I’ll eat my hat or all my hats and I collect hats. It’s terrifying that this guy as Defense Chief will drink. I absolutely guarantee he will at the first sign of stress. Five seconds after the oath? I just hope there’s some way to toss the guy out on his ear when he’s drunk on the job. I’m praying for our amazing military who faithfully commit to protecting our country. They deserve much better. Sorry so long!