On her SiriusXM podcast, *The Megyn Kelly Show*, conservative firebrand Megyn Kelly didn’t hold back in slamming Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) for his personal attacks on Pete Hegseth during Hegseth’s confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense. Kelly called Kaine’s remarks “below the belt” and accused the former vice-presidential candidate of engaging in a disgraceful smear campaign to discredit Hegseth.
The controversy arose when Kaine, during Hegseth’s Senate hearing, repeatedly invoked Hegseth’s personal life, particularly his daughter, to score political points. Kaine accused Hegseth of using his claim of being “cleared” of any wrongdoing as a shield, then dredged up details of Hegseth’s alleged marital issues.
“So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime?” Kaine sneered. He then launched into a deeply personal attack: “You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman who was not your wife. How can you say you’re completely cleared?”
Hegseth, maintaining composure, responded firmly: “Senator, her child’s name is Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth, and she’s a child of God. She’s 7 years old, and I am glad she’s here.”
But Kaine doubled down, pressing further: “And you cheated on the mother of that child. Less than two months after that daughter was born, didn’t you?”
Kelly didn’t mince words in her critique of Kaine. “This was a ‘how long have you been beating your wife’ moment,” she said. “It was stunning. Look, we know Pete’s past isn’t perfect. He’s been open about his mistakes. But to drag his daughter into this? That’s disgusting.”
Kelly went on to highlight Kaine’s hypocrisy. “This guy, with his holier-than-thou attitude on cheating, was Hillary Clinton’s running mate. The same Hillary Clinton who defended Bill Clinton through years of allegations of sexual assault, rape, and countless affairs. Spare me the sanctimony, Tim Kaine.”
Kelly’s guest, Michael Knowles of *The Daily Wire*, added that the Democrats’ attempts to smear Hegseth fell flat. “Kaine’s attacks show just how weak their case is against Pete Hegseth. They went into this hearing trying to make it ‘Kavanaugh 2.0,’ but it didn’t work. Hegseth is a combat veteran, an educated man, and someone who has served this country with honor. He wasn’t going to be intimidated by Tim Kaine or anyone else.”
Knowles also criticized the Democrats for underestimating Hegseth. “Because he’s a good-looking guy who did morning TV, they assumed he wasn’t serious. But they failed to realize he has a stellar resume, he’s been under literal fire, and he knows how to handle pressure.”
Kaine’s attempts to derail Hegseth’s confirmation seem to have backfired. Instead of casting doubt on Hegseth’s qualifications, the attacks revealed the desperation of Senate Democrats grasping for something—anything—to undermine a Trump nominee.
As Kelly pointed out, “They tried to humiliate Pete Hegseth, but in the end, they only humiliated themselves.” With strong conservative voices rallying behind him, Hegseth looks poised to weather this storm and emerge even stronger.
