Pete Hegseth faces social media backlash over video

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has faced social media backlash following the circulation of video footage from a military event in South Africa. The video, which shows Hegseth performing a personal hygiene gesture, triggered widespread online discussion.

The incident led social media users to resurface archival comments made by Hegseth in 2019. During a Fox News appearance, Hegseth stated, “I don’t think I’ve washed my hands for 10 years,” adding that he believed germs were not a significant concern. Hegseth later clarified to USA Today that the remark was intended as banter and a joke regarding the societal obsession with sanitization.