Conservative radio host Ben Ferguson criticized liberal activist Francesca Fiorentini for accusing President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth of rape.
A woman accused Hegseth of sexual assault in 2017, but he and his accuser settled out of court in 2020, with the veteran’s attorney stating that Hegseth chose to settle to avoid the risk of the allegations damaging his career at Fox News. When Fiorentini, on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” alleged that Hegseth is a rapist, Ferguson told her she was an awful person and that he hoped the veteran would sue her for the defamatory remarks. (RELATED: Scott Jennings Reminds CNN Panel America ‘Just Voted Against The Expected Washington Pick’ While Defending Hegseth)
WATCH:
“Can I just say that I do think that Pete Hegseth actually is a good choice to oversee the U.S. military? I think they have a lot in common, like just like the U.S. military. Pete Hegseth doesn’t practice consent, you know, when raping and pillaging other people,” Fiorentini said. “And I think the U.S. military does the same thing. They rape and pillage other countries.”
Ferguson responded.
“God, you’re a disgusting human being. I hope he sues you for this. I really do. I hope he sues you for libel and defamation. You deserve to be sued right now for what you just said,” Ferguson said. “And I hope they clean you out. You’re disgusting. You are a disgusting person to say that about someone when you know nothing about it. It’s disgusting that you just go on TV and you have no accountability for calling someone a rapist. You are a sick person.”
Witnesses did not think the woman who accused Hegseth seemed to be intoxicated before or after their sexual encounter, according to the police report on the incident. She claimed that she did not recall details of how she returned from a bar to a hotel room with him or much of their tryst, potentially due to being drugged or because she had been drinking.
Hegseth’s attorney has maintained that their encounter was consensual and that the accusations amount to de facto blackmail.
CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten said Wednesday that it would be almost miraculous for Hegseth to be confirmed as Trump’s secretary of defense. He noted the betting odds for Hegseth’s confirmation are now lower than those of Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz when he withdrew from consideration to be the president-elect’s nominee for attorney general.
“This is the type of odds when you really think that it would take a minor miracle, a mini Hail Mary to, in fact, be confirmed by the United States Senate. The bottom line is this: The bettors very down on Pete Hegseth,” Enten said. “You could do it in any language you want to do it, you could do ‘oy, no bueno, no good,’ this 12%. Could it happen? Yeah, maybe. But chances are this dude is not going to get confirmed as the next defense secretary.”
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