08/14/2026
WOW: Newsom Slams "Manic" Hegseth, Demands Drug Test After Erratic Panama Appearance
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's frantic, arm-thrashing appearance before reporters in Panama this week drew a blistering public reaction from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is now openly calling for Hegseth to be drug tested.
Hegseth spoke to reporters Thursday, attempting to address mounting concerns over the extended deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, a deployment so long that one sailor reportedly attempted to jump overboard. Hegseth insisted the Pentagon is doing everything it can for the crew, saying, "We make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain, has everything we can provide them at every single moment," pointing to his own military service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But it was his delivery, not his message, that caught everyone's attention. Newsom posted on X describing Hegseth as appearing "delusional, manic, agitated," specifically calling out his "arm-thrashing display." The governor didn't stop there, asking directly, "Has Pete Hegseth done a drug test lately? Why are the results not public?"
It's not the first time Hegseth's behavior has raised alarm. Pentagon insiders have described similar "manic" episodes before. Hegseth has a documented history of substance abuse concerns, with his ex-wife telling the FBI he "drinks more often than he doesn't," and former Fox News colleagues saying he reeked of alcohol before going on air. He pledged to abstain from alcohol ahead of his Senate confirmation, which barely passed, needing a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance.
With sailors' lives and mental health already at the center of a growing crisis, the defense secretary's own erratic conduct is only adding fuel to a story the administration clearly wants to go away.
