Pete Hegseth Sparks 'High as a Kite' Claims After Viral Clip Shows Him Sweating and Repeatedly Wiping His Nose

Pete Hegseth has found himself at the centre of a bizarre online storm after footage showing the US Defense Secretary sweating heavily and wiping his nose during a military ceremony sent social media into overdrive, with some viewers going so far as to claim he looked 'high as a kite'.

The clip, however, provides no evidence that Hegseth had taken cocaine or any other drug, and the speculation remains entirely unsubstantiated.

What is certain is that a few seconds of footage were enough to trigger a torrent of jokes, accusations and uncomfortable questions about the senior Trump administration official.

Hegseth's Nose-Wiping Moment Goes Viral

The footage was recorded on August 10 during an event at Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina, where Hegseth appeared alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The ceremony marked the installation's renaming in honour of the late Senator Lindsey Graham.

While Bessent was speaking, cameras captured Hegseth wiping his nose before moving the same hand through his hair. The brief gesture was quickly clipped and shared online by media commentator Aaron Rupar, whose post simply pointed out that Hegseth had wiped his nose before running his hand through his hair.

Social media users began dissecting Hegseth's facial expressions and movements, with some claiming his appearance suggested stimulant use. Others focused less on the drug allegations and more on the hygiene implications of wiping his nose and then touching his hair.

His Sweating Explanation Added Fuel to the Fire

During his own remarks, Hegseth repeatedly ran his hands through his hair while visibly sweating in the South Carolina heat. At one point, he acknowledged his perspiration directly.

'By the way, I'm a Norwegian from Minnesota, so I sweat like a son of a b****,' Hegseth said, before adding, 'This is South Carolina in August.'

His explanation was met with laughter from people attending the event, and there was an obvious environmental reason for the sweating. Temperatures in the Charleston area reached about 95°F on the day.

Old Hegseth Comments Suddenly Resurfaced

In a 2019 appearance on Fox & Friends, Hegseth said, 'I don't really wash my hands ever', before joking that he 'inoculate[s]' himself and questioning the importance of germs. He later said the comments were intended as a joke.

Those remarks suddenly became relevant again for social media users after the new footage showed Hegseth wiping his nose before touching his hair.

Some online reactions mocked him as the 'Secretary of Snot', while others expressed disgust at the gesture. The clip prompted thousands of comments across social media, with several users making far more serious allegations about his appearance without providing evidence.

The combination of his old hand-washing comments and the new footage gave the internet plenty of material for another round of Hegseth jokes.

Despite the dramatic claims spreading online, there is an important distinction between what viewers believe they saw and what can actually be established.

There is no confirmed evidence that Hegseth was under the influence of cocaine or another stimulant during the event. Sweating, wiping one's nose, touching one's hair or appearing animated are not, by themselves, proof of drug use.