Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host and current U.S. Secretary of Defense, has launched a scathing attack on ex-colleague and Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin, accusing her of harboring anti-Trump sentiments. The controversy erupted after Griffin posted a letter from the House Appropriations Committee questioning the legitimacy of Hegseth’s $130,000 home repair expenses for his government-furnished residence.
The letter, signed by Democratic lawmakers, raised concerns about why the defense secretary required such extensive repairs, including an ‘emergency’ paint job costing nearly $50,000. The scrutiny over Hegseth’s housing expenses comes amid heightened debates over government spending, with particular attention to fiscal responsibility under the Trump administration’s influence.
Hegseth, 44, did not take the inquiry lightly and took to X (formerly Twitter) to denounce the report as ‘fake news.’ In his fiery response, he singled out Griffin, alleging that her reporting was biased and that she ‘hates Trump.’ He further accused her of being aligned with the Democratic Party, claiming that her reporting style mirrored their agenda.
Griffin, a seasoned journalist with years of experience covering national security matters, has yet to publicly respond to Hegseth’s remarks. However, her report has intensified debates over the ethical use of taxpayer money and the responsibilities of public officials residing in government-furnished housing. The former defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, notably opted for private housing, which has led critics to question why Hegseth chose otherwise.
The Democrats’ letter emphasized the need for transparency, pointing out the ongoing struggles of U.S. service members living in substandard housing conditions. They demanded clarity on Hegseth’s commitments to improving military housing while he benefits from a taxpayer-funded residence. With his annual salary of $246,000 and additional wealth from his television career, lawmakers have asked him to justify his need for extensive home improvements.
Hegseth remains defiant, asserting that the requested renovations were approved by the Department of Defense and would have proceeded regardless of who occupied the house. He dismissed the criticisms as politically motivated attacks orchestrated by Democrats and amplified by Griffin’s reporting.
The controversy surrounding Hegseth’s housing expenses comes amid broader debates on government waste and fiscal responsibility. The Trump administration, in collaboration with Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, has been pushing for significant reductions in federal spending through the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). House Republicans have pointed to numerous government-funded projects as examples of reckless spending, including studies on drug use in animals and unnecessary infrastructure projects.
The escalating tensions highlight the deep political divide between media figures, government officials, and lawmakers. Hegseth’s attack on Griffin reflects the ongoing culture wars within conservative circles, where media figures are scrutinized for their perceived loyalties. As this dispute unfolds, the broader implications of government accountability and media integrity remain at the forefront of public discourse.
With Democrats expecting a response from Hegseth by February 21, the coming days may reveal further developments in this politically charged saga. Whether this conflict will escalate into a larger debate over government spending and media impartiality remains to be seen, but for now, Hegseth’s bold rebuttal has added fuel to an already contentious political landscape.
Pete Hegseth launches astonishing attack on ex-Fox colleague: ‘She hates Trump’
Pete Hegseth has hit out at a Fox News journalist who posted a letter sent to the defense secretary from Congress questioning a home repairs bill.
Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin, 56, posted a letter sent to Hegseth from Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee, which asked the government official to explain why he required more than $130,000 for maintenance work on his government-furnished house.
Included in the bill was a $49,000 request for an ’emergency’ paint job.
Hours after the document was posted to X, Hegseth aggressively pushed back on the report saying it was ‘fake news,’ alongside the claim Griffin ‘hates Trump’.
Hegseth, 44, also claimed the behavior from Griffin was ‘not surprising,’ adding that she and Democrats are the ‘same thing.’
The US Secretary of Defense claimed all the repairs he requested for the government-furnished home were going to happen regardless of who moved in next.
‘Any/all house repairs were going to happen no matter who was moving in – and were all initiated by DoD,’ he wrote on X.
Hegseth added an additional jab at the reporter from his former network, claiming the Democrats and Griffin ‘don’t care about facts’ because ‘they’re just Trump haters.’
Pete Hegseth, 44, slammed an ex-Fox News colleague claiming ‘she hates Trump’ after the conservative journalist posted a letter sent to the defense secretary from Congress
Fox News national security correspondant Jennifer Griffin, 56, posted a letter sent to Hegseth from Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee, which asked the defense secretary to explain why he required more than $130,000 for home repairs for his government-furnished house
As defense secretary, Hegseth is granted the option to live in government housing, however, it is more common for people in such positions to opt to live in private housing, according to Military.com.
The former defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, lived in his own home in Great Falls, Virginia.
However, since Hegseth has taken the opportunity to live in the home, Democrats have demanded he justify why he needs the government-provided home, why it needs to be improved and how much he plans to pay in rent.
‘We know that many service members and their families currently live in unacceptable housing conditions including houses with mold, lead paint, and other hazards,’ the letter penned on February 7 reads.
‘What commitment will you make to provide service members with a similarly high quality of housing for themselves and their families?’
As seen in the report, the total cost comes out to $137,297 to improve the 4,000-square-foot government-furnished home.
In their letter, Democrats pointed out that Hegseth will earn an annual income of $246,000 in addition to the millions of dollars he already has from his former career as a Fox News host.
Democrats are now asking Hegseth to answer their questions by February 21.
The request has become increasingly politicized due to the fact that President Donald Trump and his ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk have been making drastic changes to the federal government with aim to reduce federal spending.
Because Hegseth is choosing to live in the home, Democrats have asked him to justify why he needs the government-provided home, why it needs to be improved and how much he plans to pay in rent
Hours after the probing report was posted to X , Hegseth aggressively pushed back on the report claiming it was ‘fake news’
Musk and Trump are attempting to place thousands of federal workers on administrative leave and plan to cut many others that they believe are unnecessary – all in a widespread attempt at saving money and making American taxpayer dollars ‘more meaningful.’
The president-elect tasked the Tesla CEO and Vivek Ramaswamy with cutting trillions of dollars in federal spending in the coming years using the newly developed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – which Musk leads.
And the pair have already been hard at work injecting their influence in to politics.
House DOGE Caucus Co-Chair Aaron Bean, exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com some of the most egregious government waste projects federal workers are approving – many at massive costs to taxpayers.
‘We’re giving cocaine to animals to see does it turn them transsexual?’ the Republican lamented to DailyMail.com over the phone.
He suggested similar government-funded studies need to be halted by DOGE.
‘It just, it’s the craziest thing that you would never spend your own money on. But when agencies have money to burn, they will spend money on literally everything,’ Bean added.
The study in question, a decade old NIH experiment titled ‘Cocaine induces state-dependent learning of sexual conditioning in male Japanese quail’ to determine the patterns of birds using cocaine.
That study was given a US taxpayer-funded grant worth $875,000.
This nearly $1 million taxpayer-funded study found that cocaine use tends to lead to riskier sex – something many would say is ‘common knowledge.’
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Co-Chair of the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), arrives on Capitol Hill on December 05, 2024 in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Aaron Bean, co-chair of the House DOGE Caucus, detailed to DailyMail.com what the panel will look at cutting next year
A similar study to measure cocaine use in beagles was revealed by advocacy group White Coat Waste Project in recent years. That study received over $2.3 million dollars from the National Institute of Health.
Other wasteful projects in the ‘Festivus’ report: A $10,000 for ice skating drag queens, a $12 million Las Vegas pickleball complex project and $108,000 for on a non-functioning, long-abandoned hotel in the Caribbean – all courtesy of the US taxpayer.
The official DOGE X account also highlighted various U.S. government spending projects, many of them absurd.
‘What does the U.S. Government use taxpayer dollars for? “$6.9M studying ‘smart toilets’ that recognize the user’s ‘anal print’ – $2.3M for the NIH to inject dogs with cocaine – $118,000 to study if a metal replica robot of Marvel Comics’ Thanos could really snap his fingers – $75,000 in grants on a Harvard study on lizards being blown off trees with leaf blowers,”‘ the statement said.
In addition to handing out grant money for ridiculous studies and remote, useless hotels, Bean told DailyMail.com other handouts, like subsidies, should be re-examined.
