Transition of power during
Transitioning to
Transition of power
Prom
Pete Hegseth’s mother went on a Fox show to speak about her son’s character and defend him. She mentioned that he has transformed as a person while working at the network.
Written by Jennifer S. Forsyth
Reporting from the nation
On Wednesday morning, Penelope Hegseth, the mother of Pete Hegseth, stated that her son had changed since 2018 when she sent an email accusing him of mistreating women and lacking integrity and moral character.
During an interview on "Fox & Friends," Mrs. Hegseth stated that Pete has transformed into a new individual, having been redeemed, forgiven, and changed.
"I really wish that people, especially our female senators, will take the time to understand who Pete is today. I hope that you will listen to him with an open heart and recognize the truth about Pete. It’s important to know that he treats women with respect and does not mistreat them."
She showed up 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 did not mean what she said in the email and had since apologized to her son in a subsequent email.
Following reports of alcohol abuse and mismanagement within nonprofit organizations, an article in The New Yorker also highlighted these issues. Additionally, there were allegations of a woman claiming that Mr. Hegseth raped her at a political conference in 2017, although no charges were filed after an investigation, with Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer stating that the encounter was consensual.
The negative consequences from the situation have put Mr. Hegseth’s opportunity to lead the Defense Department in the upcoming Trump administration at risk. It is rumored that President-elect Donald J. Trump is considering different candidates for the position.
We are experiencing difficulties in accessing the content of the article.
To use this website fully, make sure to turn on JavaScript
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently using Reader mode, please close it and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times’ content.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Are you currently a member? Please sign in.
Interested in accessing all content from The Times? Sign up for a
Prom
Index of the website
Navigation bar with information about