Newly disclosed legal documents have brought to light private text message exchanges in which a prominent Fox News personality and a current high-ranking U.S. defense official privately asserted the 2020 presidential election was illegitimate.
The messages, revealed as part of an ongoing defamation lawsuit, show a conversation between Fox host Jesse Watters and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. In the texts, both men expressed a belief that the election outcome, which saw Joe Biden defeat then-President Donald Trump, was the result of fraudulent activity.
Hegseth, who previously co-hosted a weekend program on the network before assuming his current role, detailed unsubstantiated claims about voting irregularities in a specific congressional race. He described the process as a “s— show” and alleged, without providing verifiable evidence, that mail-in ballot procedures had been compromised.
Watters responded in agreement, stating, “It’s over. They stole it. Everyone knows it.” He then added a declaration of future “revenge.” The exchange concluded with Hegseth concurring that the election was stolen and speculating that “revenge is coming.”
The lawsuit that produced these communications was filed by the voting technology company Smartmatic. The company alleges that Fox News broadcasts falsely accused it of manipulating the 2020 election results.
In response to the release of the messages, Fox News issued a statement defending its position. The network argued that Smartmatic’s legal claims are exaggerated and intended to suppress free speech, and pointed to unrelated legal challenges facing the company in other jurisdictions as part of its defense.
The disclosure provides a rare glimpse into the private views of two influential figures regarding an election whose results have been formally certified and upheld by numerous courts. The messages underscore the persistent, unfounded claims of a stolen election that continue to circulate in some political circles.
