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Pete Hegseth’s mother went on a Fox show to speak positively about her son’s character, mentioning that he has changed for the better. She is the mother of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick for defense secretary, who used to work at the same network.
Authored by Jennifer S. Forsyth
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On Wednesday morning, Penelope Hegseth, the mother of Pete Hegseth, stated that her son had undergone a change since 2018. She mentioned that in the past, she had sent an email accusing him of mistreating women and lacking moral values.
Mrs. Hegseth said on "Fox & Friends" that Pete is a transformed individual who has been forgiven and redeemed.
"I hope that people, especially our female senators, take the time to learn about Pete today. I ask that you listen to him with an open heart and hear the truth about him," she stated. She emphasized that Pete does not mistreat women.
She made an appearance following the publication of an email she sent while Mr. Hegseth was going through a difficult divorce from his second wife. In an interview with The Times on Friday, she mentioned that she did not mean what she said in the email and had apologized to her son in a subsequent email.
Following reports of alcohol abuse and mismanagement of nonprofit organizations in an article by The New Yorker, Mr. Hegseth is facing additional controversy. Allegations of a woman claiming he raped her at a political conference in 2017 were investigated, but no charges were filed. Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, maintains that the encounter was consensual.
The negative consequences have put Mr. Hegseth’s potential leadership role in the Defense Department under President-elect Donald J. Trump’s administration at risk. Reports suggest that Trump is considering different candidates for the position instead.
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