Hegseth's statement to police directly conflicts with a 2017 witness account − and with recent statements by Hegseth's attorney, who said he was visibly intoxicated on the night in question and that his alleged victim was "the aggressor in the encounter.

A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave