Transition of power from
Transition of power
Transitioning to
Prom
Pete Hegseth’s mother appeared on Fox News to speak about her son’s character and defend him against any criticisms. She mentioned that he has transformed and is not the same person he used to be.
Written by Jennifer S. Forsyth
Providing coverage from
Penelope Hegseth, the mother of Pete Hegseth, stated on Wednesday that her son has changed since 2018 when she sent an email accusing him of mistreating women and lacking moral character.
During an interview on "Fox & Friends," Mrs. Hegseth mentioned that Pete is a different person now, having been transformed, forgiven, and redeemed.
"I hope that people, particularly our female senators, take the time to really get to know Pete and listen to him with empathy. It is important to listen to the truth of his character and understand that he does not mistreat women."
She made an appearance following The New York Times’ publication of 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 stated that she did not stand by what she said in the email and had apologized to her son in a subsequent email.
Additionally, recent accusations of alcohol abuse and mishandling of nonprofit organizations were reported in an article by The New Yorker. Mr. Hegseth has also been accused of rape by a woman at a political conference in 2017, but no charges were filed after an investigation. Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, stated that the encounter was consensual.
The negative consequences of recent events have put Mr. Hegseth’s potential appointment as the head of the Defense Department in the upcoming Trump administration at risk. President-elect Donald J. Trump is reportedly considering different candidates for the position.
We are experiencing difficulties in accessing the article content.
Kindly activate JavaScript in the settings of your web browser.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently in Reader mode, please log out and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Are you currently a member? Please sign in.
Interested in receiving all of The Times content? Sign up for a
Prom
Navigation Menu
Explore the contents of the website.