Trump Selection Pete Hegseth Defends Against Allegations of Assault, Tattoo Claims

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, released a statement through his lawyer addressing reports that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017—saying that he paid the accuser to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit. The lawyer also fielded allegations related to a tattoo of a cross on Hegseth’s chest. Hegseth, a Fox News host, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican event in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by the City of Monterey. No charges were filed. His lawyer, Tim Parlatore, said Sunday that the woman who made the accusation days later was the “aggressor,” although the city did not mention that....