A photo of Pete Hegseth at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City went viral, sparking questions about his attire and the context of the image. The picture, showing Hegseth holding an American flag at the solemn site, led to claims that the Fox News host was disrespectfully posing in his underwear. However, this claim misrepresents the actual situation and the purpose behind Hegseth’s presence at the memorial that day.
The viral photo, indeed authentic and originally shared on Hegseth’s Instagram, does feature him in what appears to be minimal clothing. However, he was not wearing underwear. The image was taken after Hegseth participated in the 2020 Navy SEAL Swim, a charity event on the Hudson River. Participants, including Hegseth, wore swim trunks for the swim from New Jersey to New York City. The event aimed to raise funds for the GI Go Fund and honor veterans and military families.
The picture in question was part of a series of photos Hegseth posted on August 9, 2020, documenting his participation in the swim and his reporting on the event for Fox News. The final photo in the series shows him at the 9/11 Memorial, respectfully placing a small flag while holding a larger American flag. The tattoos visible on his right arm in the photo match those in other publicly available images of Hegseth, confirming his identity.
The caption accompanying Hegseth’s original Instagram post read: “A few pictures from this year’s @gigofund SEAL Swim across the Hudson. Amazing day! Thanks for all the @foxandfriends viewers who sent in photos.” This caption confirms the context of the photos and clarifies that Hegseth was participating in and reporting on a charity swim event.
The claim that Hegseth was at the 9/11 Memorial in his underwear is therefore misleading. He was wearing swim trunks, appropriate attire for the charity swim he had just completed. His visit to the memorial, still in his swim attire, was a part of the day’s events following the swim, not a separate, disrespectful act.
The Navy SEAL Swim is an annual event that raises money for military families and honors veterans. Pete Hegseth has participated in and covered this event on multiple occasions, including in 2019 and 2024. The swim starts at Liberty State Park in New Jersey and ends at the World Trade Center in New York, symbolically connecting these locations and honoring the sacrifices made for the nation.
In conclusion, the viral photo of Pete Hegseth at the 9/11 Memorial is real, but the narrative suggesting he was there inappropriately dressed in underwear is false. He was wearing swim trunks after participating in a charity swim to honor veterans and raise funds for military families. The photo was taken in the context of this event, not as an isolated incident of disrespect.
Sources:
“2024 NYC SEAL Swim.” Navy SEAL Foundation. https://impact.navysealfoundation.org/event/2024-nyc-seal-swim/e559597. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
Ibrahim, Nur. “Pete Hegseth Published Column Saying Sex with Unconscious Woman Isn’t Rape.” Snopes, 27 Nov. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//news/2024/11/27/pete-hegseth-sex-woman-rape/. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
“Pete Hegseth Swims across the Hudson River with Navy SEALs | Fox Nation.” YouTube, Fox Nation, 9 Aug. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svVOYpYmR5A. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
“SEAL Swim 2020 – Pete Hegseth and SEALs Jump into Hudson River.” YouTube, GI Go Fund, 22 Sept. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJix2ueLLEo. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
“Trump Shows Public Support for Embattled Defense Secretary Pick Pete Hegseth.” ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-shows-public-support-embattled-defense-secretary-pick/story?id=116519958. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
