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Pete Hegseth’s mother spoke on a Fox show to defend her son’s character, stating that he has transformed as a person. She is the mother of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick for defense secretary.
Written by Jennifer S. Forsyth
Updating from the capital
On Wednesday morning, Penelope Hegseth, who is Pete Hegseth’s mother, stated that her son had changed since 2018. She had previously sent an email accusing him of mistreating women regularly and lacking morals and integrity.
Mrs. Hegseth stated on "Fox & Friends" that Pete has transformed into a new individual, being redeemed, forgiven, and changed.
"I hope that everyone, especially our female senators, takes the time to learn about Pete today. I urge you to listen to him with an open heart and recognize the truth about him. It is important to note that he does not mistreat women."
She made her public appearance after The New York Times released an email she had written while Mr. Hegseth was going through a difficult divorce from his second wife. In an interview with The Times on Friday, she admitted that she didn’t stand by what she had said in the email and had apologized to her son in a subsequent email.
Following recent allegations of alcohol abuse and mismanagement of nonprofit organizations, which were detailed in an article in The New Yorker, Mr. Hegseth is facing additional scrutiny. A woman filed a police complaint accusing him of rape at a political conference in 2017, although no charges were brought after an investigation. Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, maintains that the encounter was consensual.
The negative consequences of the situation have put Mr. Hegseth’s potential leadership of the Defense Department in the upcoming Trump administration at risk. President-elect Donald J. Trump is reportedly considering different candidates for the position due to the fallout from this issue.
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