Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was caught wiping his nose and hair on Monday — and critics definitely noticed.
Hegseth was at the renaming ceremony for Joint Base Lindsey Graham in South Carolina when he used his hand to wipe his nose and then slick back his coif, The New Republic reported.
In 2019, the former Fox News host had claimed during a segment that he hadn't washed his hands in 10 years.
"Germs are not a real thing. I can't see them; therefore, they are not real," he said at the time.
The questionable move comes as Hegseth's approval rating has plummeted, according to The New Republic, citing reporting from CNN analyst Harry Enten. Enten called it the "lowest of the low" as the administration sees low satisfaction among voters.
"Twenty-two points underwater, and this has been something that's been going on throughout the entire administration," Enten said. "He has been underwater in every single poll that I could find. That is his job disapproval rating being above his job approval rating, and Iran has not helped."
Pete Hegseth wipes his nose, then runs his hand through his hair pic.twitter.com/CXml9BpeER
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 10, 2026
