Trump's defence secretary pick refuses to answer questions on controversies

The antheral chosen by Donald Trump to beryllium defence caput has refused to reply Sky News questions astir whether helium has a occupation with intoxicant and women.

Pete Hegseth has attracted caller contention implicit claims of excessive drinking, fiscal mismanagement and improper behaviour.

An nonfiction successful the New Yorker mag reported the allegations led to him having to discontinue enactment roles successful 2 abstracted non-profit organisations for subject veterans.

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It suggested that whistleblowers claimed a drunken Mr Hegseth had to beryllium held backmost from joining strippers connected signifier successful a Louisiana nine and, successful an Ohio barroom successful 2014, chanted "Kill each Muslims, termination each Muslims."

The Fox News property has been connected Capitol Hill lobbying senators up of his occupation confirmation process.

Sky News caught up with him betwixt meetings and asked him the following:

1. Does your past behaviour marque you unfit to serve?
2. Do you person a occupation with women, intoxicant and spending?
3. If erstwhile colleagues don't deliberation you could tally a non-profit, wherefore should you tally the nation's military?

On each 3 questions, Mr Hegseth declined to answer.

His effort to garner enactment among politicians is already analyzable by revelations that constabulary successful California investigated an allegation of intersexual battle against him successful 2017.

It didn't effect successful transgression charges and Mr Hegseth has denied immoderate wrongdoing, insisting the brushwood was consensual.

Separately, the New York Times has published a 2018 email from Mr Hegseth's parent to him successful which she calls him an abuser of women and tells him to "take an honorable look astatine yourself".

When asked astir the email successful the past week, she withdrew the remarks and said she had sent her lad a follow-up email to apologise.

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Mr Hegseth, 44, is simply a erstwhile serviceman successful the National Guard.

His information arsenic defence caput instantly attracted contention owed to erstwhile remarks, successful which helium said women were not suited to combat roles.