CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Confronts GOP Sen. With Trump Pick Hegseth’s Rape Allegation: ‘You’ve Co-Sponsored’ Sexual Assault Laws
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins confronted Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) with the rape allegation facing Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, noting that Rounds has co-sponsored laws “to deal with sexual assault in the military.”
Over the weekend, Hegseth’s attorney dropped the bomb that Hegseth had entered into a confidential settlement with a woman who accused the former Fox News host of sexual assault. Mediaite obtained a copy of the police report from that incident, which contains graphic and disturbing details of the woman’s allegations, as well as Hegseth’s version of events.
On Thursday night’s edition of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Collins hosted Rounds to talk about the bombshell news about Trump’s AG pick, but also pressed him on the Hegseth nod:
COLLINS: Well, Senator, on that, there was another pick, up on the Hill today, Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to be the Pentagon chief. Does the sexual assault allegation, which Hegseth has denied, but which was laid out in a 22-page police report today, does that give you any pause about voting to confirm him?
ROUNDS: I haven’t met him yet. I have not visited with him. And so, he kind of falls into the same category as Pam does. This is a case of where the President has the opportunity to make that nomination, he gets the benefit of the doubt.
And then, I want an opportunity to visit with Pete. I want to visit with him, see what his thoughts are, how he would handle the department. He’s going to have to answer those questions, with regard to anything that’s in his record.
And so, yes, he’s going to have to be able to walk on in, sit down, and to visit with people, explain what’s going on. And that’s the way this process works.
We’re not going to find people that are going to walk in, and nobody’s going to ask them questions about their background, or anything else that may have been questionable. So, all of them know when they walk in —
COLLINS: Yes.
ROUNDS: — their background is going to be scrutinized, and they’re going to have to be prepared to answer those questions. So, it’ll be interesting to see how each of them respond.
COLLINS: Yes.
ROUNDS: And all of that is shared from member to member. So both Republicans and Democrats get to do it. And they’re all going to talk among themselves. We’re a lot closer than a lot of people realize up here. And that discussion will go on.
COLLINS: I just asked, because I know you’ve co-sponsored legislation, in the past, to deal with sexual assault in the military, as that’s been a big issue. I know how important that is to you. So Senator, we’ll see how that process plays out.
Watch above via CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins.
