Transition of power from
Transition of power
Transition of power
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Pete Hegseth’s mother spoke on a Fox show to defend her son’s character, stating that he has undergone positive changes. She is the mother of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick for defense secretary.
Written by Jennifer S. Forsyth
Writing from the nation
Penelope Hegseth, the mother of Pete Hegseth, stated on Wednesday morning that her son had changed since 2018 when she sent an email accusing him of mistreating women and lacking morals and integrity.
During an interview on "Fox & Friends," Mrs. Hegseth mentioned that Pete has transformed into a new individual, having been forgiven and redeemed.
"I really hope that everyone, especially our female senators, will take the time to understand who Pete is today. I hope you will listen to him with an open heart and hear the truth about Pete," she expressed, emphasizing, "He does not mistreat women."
She made an 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 stated that she did not stand by what she said in that email and had apologized to her son in a subsequent email.
Following reports of alcohol abuse and mismanagement in nonprofit organizations, an article in The New Yorker highlighted these allegations this week. Additionally, Mr. Hegseth is facing accusations of rape from a woman who claimed the incident occurred at a political conference in 2017. Despite an investigation that did not lead to any charges, Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, has stated that the encounter was consensual.
The negative consequences from the situation have put Mr. Hegseth’s opportunity to head the Defense Department in the upcoming Trump administration at risk. It’s been reported that President-elect Donald J. Trump is considering different candidates for the position.
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