PoliticsPete Hegseth Allegedly Refused to Hold Jesse Watters' Drink During Photo Op — After Defense Secretary Was Accused of Having an Alcohol Problem
Pete Hegseth allegedly refused to hold a drink for Jesse Watters.
Sept. 29 2026, Published 4:14 a.m. ET
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth refused to hold Jesse Watters' drink to help him out at an event recently.
As Watters recalled on The Five, the run-in took place during the White House state dinner on Thursday, September 24, which was held in honor of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
At the event, Watters was in attendance with his wife, Emma DiGiovine, alongside other familiar faces.
Pete Hegseth allegedly refused to hold a drink for Jesse Watters during the recent White House state dinner.
Watters said, at the dinner, "We go in there – this is kind of embarrassing – they want to take pictures. And I turn around, I said, 'Hegseth, can you hold my drink because I don't want to have a drink in a picture.'"
However, Hegseth reportedly responded, "I can't be seen holding a drink!"
Well, the defense secretary's reported alcohol problem isn't really a mystery either.
Pete Hegseth Been Questioned About His Alcohol Intake Many Times
Pete Hegseth's alcohol consumption has reportedly been called into question multiple times over the years.
Hegseth's alcohol consumption has reportedly been called into question multiple times over the years.
This includes the time in 2025, when he was questioned by Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii about allegedly drinking on the job.
At the time, the 46-year-old vehemently denied the accusations, insisting, "Those are multiple false anonymous reports peddled by NBC News that run directly contradictory to the dozens of men and women and Fox News channel."
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Jesse Watters Reflected on His White House State Dinner
Jesse Watters also recalled his meeting with Tim Cook, Greg Gutfeld, and Jensen Huang at the White House state dinner.
Besides recalling his run-in with Hegseth, Watters also shared his meeting with Tim Cook.
Watters said, "I stayed at the same hotel as Tim Cook, the guy at Apple. I see him and go, 'Congratulations on all your success,' and he shakes my hand and goes, 'You, too, Tucker,'" suggesting that Cook believed he was Tucker Carlson.
He also reflected on his meeting with Greg Gutfeld.
"But the best part," Watters continued, adding, "You know how you walk in, Greg [Gutfeld], and you have to go through the security part? So we walk in, and the CEO of Microsoft is sitting there like this, waiting. And everyone's walking by."
Jesse Watters was in attendance with his wife, Emma DiGiovine, at the White House state dinner
He went on, "I'm like, 'What happened?' and he said, 'I put my birthday in wrong.' It's the same thing we messed up the last time. That made me feel a lot smarter."
The Fox News host made acquaintance with Jensen Huang at the event as well.
"And so you get in, and the first guy you see is Jensen Huang," he remembered.
"I said, 'We just did a thing on The Five where you always wear the same outfit so you don’t have to make a lot of decisions,'" he added.
Watters went on to reveal, "He goes, 'Not only that, I eat the same lunch every day … I have rolled up pieces of ham and Turkey because I can eat and type at the same time.'"
