Fox News co-host Ainsley Earhardt revealed a gross detail about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The habit could cause a serious harm to his health

Pete Hegseth was said to eat food off the floor (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Stories about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth cleanliness habits reveal doesn’t seem to be a germaphobe.

Fox News co-host Ainsley Earhardt was discussing a gross detail about Hegseth on air Wednesday. She said that he’s been known to eat food off the floor. This comes after he himself said in 2019 he hasn’t washed his hands in nearly 10 years. At the time, he spouted that “germs are not a real thing,” saying he “can’t see them; therefore, they’re not real.”

He later clarified that he was joking, poking fun at the people that carry around hand sanitizer. He also described the public’s reaction as ridiculous.

But Earhardt added to the picture of Hegseth’s possible filthiness. She explained that Hegseth has no fear of germs on food that falls on the floor.

She said: “Pete Hegseth would have a bagel with cream cheese. He would drop it, it would land upside down, the cream cheese on the floor, and he would pick it up.”

“I’m like, ‘Wait, is there any hair on there? It is so gross, and he would just pop it in his mouth.”

The fellow co-host reacted in disgust at the story, yelling “oh no” as she spoke. That’s when Earhardt added that he doesn’t wash his hands either, saying it’s because he’s a “tough, Army guy.”

If you can’t see the video above, click here.

Though Hegseth seems to be a believer in the five-second rule, you shouldn’t be so trusting. The rule, which indicates you have five seconds before bacteria gets on dropped food, is a myth, according to Healthline.

Bacteria can infect food as soon as it falls on the floor, but the type of food and type of floor matters. The more moist a food is, the more likely it could be contaminated quickly.

Carpet has a lower transfer rate, while flooring like tile, steel or wood can transfer bacteria rapidly. Bacteria can get on food in less than one second in some instances.

He once joked he doesn’t wash his hands as well (Image: AP)
The biggest threat is potentially catching a foodborne illness, like norovirus, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus (staph) and more. Foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Therefore, cream cheese on the ground would likely pick up several bacteria. But Hegseth seems to be okay for now.

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