FACT CHECK: Viral TikTok Video Falsely Claims Pete Hegseth Was Drinking Alcohol During Press Conference

A viral video shared on TikTok claims Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was purportedly drinking alcohol during a recent press conference.

@amiyaroses gota shake off those nerves #fyp #politicstiktok #hegseth #news #foxnews #absnews ♬ original sound – amiya rose

Verdict: False

In the original video, uploaded to YouTube by The Associated Press, Hegseth can be seen sipping a glass of water, not alcohol.

Fact Check:

Hegseth said Americans troops’ presence in Europe will not last “forever” during a recent visit to Poland, according to Politico. Hegseth also told European allies “now is the time to invest” and “step up,” the outlet reported.

The TikTok video, which has garnered over 100,000 likes as of writing, claims Hegseth was purportedly drinking alcohol during a recent press conference. In the video, a social media user films a television screen where Hegseth can be seen participating in a press conference. At one point, Hegseth reaches for a glass of what appears to be an amber liquid.

“Hegseth just casually drinking on the job on live news,” text superimposed on the video reads. “[Gotta] shake off those nerves,” the video’s caption follows.

The claim is false. In the original video, uploaded to YouTube by The Associated Press, Hegseth can be seen sipping a glass of water. Hegseth reaches for the glass of water from behind the podium at the video’s 19:25-minute mark. Likewise, the coloring of the YouTube video differs from that of the viral TikTok video, which suggests that a filter may have been used to bolster the claim about Hegseth drinking alcohol.

“U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth holds a news conference after a meeting with NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Belgium,” the video’s description reads.

In addition, Hegseth does not appear to have publicly responded to the claim accusing him of drinking alcohol during the recent press conference. Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports to support the claim, either. Actually, the opposite is true. On Feb. 16, Lead Stories debunked the claim, citing the same video from The Associated Press that showed Hegseth was drinking water. (RELATED: No, IDF Did Not Admit 6,000 Troops Were Killed)

Check Your Fact has contacted the White House for comment.