A 'Fox & Friends' host said he hasn't washed his hands in 10 years, and people thought he was serious

• Fox News host Pete Hegseth told his "Fox & Friends" co-hosts on Sunday that he hadn't washed his hands in a decade.
• People on Twitter were confused as to whether he was serious or not.
• Hegseth and a Fox News spokesperson told USA Today he was definitely joking.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises on its website that washing your hands is a good way to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others.

Fox News host Pete Hegseth told his "Fox & Friends" co-hosts on Sunday morning that he hadn't washed his hands in a decade, and now people can't tell if he was joking.

Hegseth made the comment after co-host Jedediah Bila called him out for eating day-old pizza on set.

"My 2019 resolution is to say things on-air that I say off-air," Hegseth said to his co-hosts. "'I don't think I've washed my hands for 10 years. Really, I don't really wash my hands ever."

Met with laughter, he added: "I inoculate myself. Germs are not a real thing. I can't see them; therefore, they're not real."

Read more: Do you really have to wash your hands every time you use the bathroom? The definitive answer, according to science

As people on Twitter speculated if Hegseth was serious, he sent mixed messages to his followers.

In one Tweet, Hegseth blamed the media for being "self-righteous and angry," and suggested journalists "loosen up and have some fun."

Hegseth also used the hashtag #dontwash and said he supported riding bikes without a helmet and drinking from hoses. "Cue outrage," he wrote.

In another Tweet, he said Chris Hayes could "see the obvious" when the MSNBC host said Hegseth was "pretty clearly joking."

Hegseth and a Fox News spokesperson told USA Today he was definitely joking.

Scientific research has concluded that washing your hands after going to the bathroom is an effective way to combat infection and illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises on its website that washing your hands is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others.

The CDC has a list of when someone should wash their hands that also includes a how-to guide.

SEE ALSO: You're probably washing your hands wrong and the results can be pretty gross — here's the right way

DON'T MISS: 5 little ways you could be spreading your germs to others

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The best way to get rid of germs when washing your hands