Transition of power from
Transitioning to
Transition of power
Prom
The mother of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s nominee for defense secretary defended her son’s character on a Fox show, stating that he had undergone significant personal growth and change.
Written by Jennifer S. Forsyth
Reporting live from the
On Wednesday morning, Penelope Hegseth, the mother of Pete Hegseth, stated that her son has changed since 2018. She mentioned that in the past, she had sent an email accusing him of mistreating women and lacking morals and integrity.
Mrs. Hegseth stated on "Fox & Friends" that Pete has undergone a transformation and is now a different person, having been redeemed, forgiven, and changed.
"I really hope that people, especially our female senators, will take the time to learn about Pete today and listen to him with an open heart. It is important to hear the truth about Pete and understand that he respects women."
She made an appearance after The New York Times released an email she wrote while Mr. Hegseth was going through a tough divorce with his second wife. In an interview with The Times on Friday, she mentioned that she didn’t stand by what she said in that email and had already apologized to her son in a subsequent email.
Following reports of alcohol abuse and poor management within nonprofit organizations, a recent article in The New Yorker highlighted these issues. Additionally, Peter Hegseth was accused of raping a woman at a political conference in 2017, although no charges were filed after an investigation. 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 content of the article.
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 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 to access the
Interested in receiving all of The Times content? Subscribe now.
Prom
Index of the website
Navigation for information on the