Pete Hegseth's Fox News Salary Revealed Before Confirmation Hearing
Hegseth's payday as secretary of defense if he's confirmed would be quite different from his old TV gig.
Pete Hegseth made more than $2 million annually as a Fox News host before he left to pursue a Cabinet bid, according to records reported by the Washington Post on Monday.
Hegseth, whose Senate confirmation hearing is set to begin Tuesday for his secretary of defense nomination by President-elect Donald Trump, was paid $4.6 million over about two years on a financial disclosure document, the newspaperās Jeremy Barr shared on X.
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That would pale in comparison to the $246,000 he would earn to oversee the nationās armed forces, The Daily Beast reported.
But the disparity in pay may be the least of Hegsethās problems. He may experience an uphill battle to actually get confirmed.
Hegseth, a military veteran, has faced allegations of sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse that alarmed coworkers on āFox & Friends Weekend.ā
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He still has Trumpās support but he wonāt have a comfy TV payday to lean on if he wins over the Senate.
His pay cut would not be as massive as former colleague Sean Hannityās might have been if the high-profile host had been nominated by Trump for a post. (Around a dozen and a half Fox News alums were tapped for possible positions in the incoming administration.)
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According to a Forbes report in 2020, Hannity made a reported $25 million per year.
HuffPost has reached out to Fox News for comment.
Pete Hegseth would make a fraction of his old Fox News salary if confirmed as secretary of defense.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
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