A Fox News contributor said Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Department of Defense "is a problem" for her as a survivor of sexual assault.
Speaking on Fox News' “MediaBuzz” on Sunday, Leslie Marshall said she likes Hegseth “as a person,” but a suitable leader should be not be facing sexual assault allegations.
“You can’t lead an entire organization and all these people if you can’t lead by example, one,” Marshall said on air.
Last week, a police report released to Mediaite detailed an accusation of sexual assault against Hegseth. The alleged assault took place at a Republican women’s conference in 2017 where Hegseth was a keynote speaker. The alleged victim took a rape test days after a sexual encounter with Hegseth, who paid the woman an undisclosed sum but insists he committed no crime.
“I dreaded talking about this today,” Marshall continued before taking a deep breath. “I am a rape victim, and I can tell you there’s a reason one in 10 rapes go unreported, and it’s very difficult for a woman to go in and have a rape kit done. It’s physically, mentally, and emotionally very difficult to go through that process, as I have,” she said, visibly distressed.
“And I have to say, I, as a woman and as a victim, I believe the victims, and this is a problem for me,” she added, referring to Hegseth’s nomination.
Fox News host Howard Kurtz thanked Marshall for her "candor."
Hegseth is one of four of Trump's Cabinet picks to have faced allegations of sexual misconduct. Trump's first pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, who withdrew his nomination last week, had been under investigation by the Justice Department and the House Ethics Committee for sex trafficking. Trump's "efficiency Czar," Elon Musk, is being sued for sexual harassment in the workplace, while RFK Jr., up to lead the health department, was accused of assaulting a family babysitter in the 90s. Linda McMahon, who Trump tapped to lead the Department of Education, has been named in a lawsuit pertaining to the sexual abuse of minors.
