Trump Pick Hegseth Confronted In Crowded Hallway Over Rape Allegation: ‘Did You Sexually Assault a Woman?’

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the next secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, was confronted by a reporter in a crowded Capitol Hill hallway, who asked him point-blank “Did you sexually assault a woman?”

Hegseth is among a raft of cabinet picks who are facing uphill confirmation battles, and are being subjected vetting by private firms, rather than customary FBI inquiries. Over the weekend, Hegseth’s attorney dropped the bomb that Hegseth has a confidential settlement with a woman who accused the former Fox News host of sexual assault.

Mediaite obtained a copy of the police report from that incident, which contains graphic and disturbing details of the woman’s allegations, as well as Hegseth’s version of events. Hegseth claimed the incident was consensual in interviews with police.

On Thursday afternoon’s edition of CNN’s Inside Politics, anchor Dana Bash cut away to Manu Raju at a Capitol Hill scrum with Hegseth, during which another reporter’s blunt question produced an answer that puzzled the talent back in the studio:

DANA BASH: We just heard Manu talking about Pete Hegseth speaking. We have some tape. Let’s roll it.

PETE HEGSETH: We take absolutely nothing for granted. And we welcome the opportunity to talk to any senator that wants to talk to us.

REPORTER: Did you sexually assault a woman in Monterey, California?

PETE HEGSETH: I have–. As far as the media is concerned, it’s very simple. The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared. And that’s where I’m gonna leave it.

DANA BASH: Okay. Again, he wasn’t completely clear. He just wasn’t prosecuted.

JEFF MASON: I wonder what he means by as far as the media is concerned.

DANA BASH: Yeah.

JEFF MASON: Is that– does that just mean that’s all I’m going to say to you? But I’ve got something else to say to Donald Trump?

Watch above via CNN’s Inside Politics.