The encounter, which didn’t end in costs towards Hegseth and which he has admitted occurred however claimed was consensual, is now within the highlight attributable to Hegseth’s shock nomination as president-elect Donald Trump’s decide for Secretary of Defense. Will it have an effect on his candidacy?
It appears unlikely. It’s clear at this level that allegations of sexual misconduct aren’t any hindrance to being thought-about for the higher echelons of American energy. The Trump cupboard could effectively embody a number of males who’ve allegations of sexual misconduct towards them, and it’s not even a shock.
After all, simply have a look at Trump himself, who was discovered liable by an Manhattan civil jury earlier this year of sexual abuse towards creator E. Jean Carroll. Trump has been accused time and again of the whole lot from making lewd feedback to sexual assault, but none of this disqualified him within the eyes of the tens of millions of mostly men who selected him to fill the nation’s highest workplace for a second time.
Still, the sexual misconduct claims floating across the members of the proposed Trump cupboard this time round appear notably egregious. The declare towards Hegseth got here into clearer give attention to Wednesday, when Mediaite reported the small print of the redacted police report and shared it in full.
According to the police report, the lady stated she had gone to a bar connected to the lodge the place she noticed Hegseth, who she had noticed appearing inappropriately with girls all through the day by doing issues like “rub” their legs. In a textual content message, she typed that Hegseth gave off a “creeper” vibe, the report says. At the bar, she stated, she approached Hegseth and “commented on how she didn’t respect how he handled girls.”
Though she didn’t recall ingesting to extra, the lady stated, in accordance with the police report, that issues started to get “fuzzy” on the bar, and he or she remembers arguing with Hegseth by the pool after leaving the bar. The subsequent reminiscence she had was being alone with Hegseth in a lodge room. The report states she had her cellphone in her hand, and he or she claimed Hegseth requested her who she was texting and took it from her. She then claimed she tried to go away the room, saying no repeatedly, however Hegseth blocked the door together with his physique. Her subsequent reminiscence, in accordance with the report, was Hegseth having intercourse together with her, his canine tags hanging over her. She stated he ejaculated on her abdomen and threw a towel at her, earlier than asking if she was okay. The girl went to the hospital 4 days later. She had been struggling nightmares and reminiscence loss because the alleged assault, she stated in accordance with the report.
