Transition into the Trump
Transition of power
Transition of power
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The mother of the nominee for defense secretary under President-elect Donald J. Trump went on the same network where her son worked to express that he had undergone a transformation in character.
Authored by Jennifer S. Forsyth.
Writing from the capital
On Wednesday morning, Penelope Hegseth, the mother of Pete Hegseth, stated that her son has changed since 2018 when she sent an email alleging that he regularly mistreated women and lacked integrity and morals.
During an interview on "Fox & Friends," Mrs. Hegseth mentioned that Pete has transformed into a new individual, having been forgiven and redeemed, and undergone a significant change.
"I really want people, especially female senators, to take the time to understand who Pete is today. I hope you will listen to him with an open heart and recognize the truth about Pete. He does not mistreat women."
She made an appearance after The New York Times published an email she had sent 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.
Following a recent article in The New Yorker that exposed allegations of alcohol abuse and mismanagement of nonprofit organizations, Mr. Hegseth has been under scrutiny. Additionally, a woman accused him of raping her at a political conference in 2017, but no charges were filed after an investigation. Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer stated that the encounter was consensual.
The negative consequences have put Mr. Hegseth’s potential leadership of the Defense Department in the upcoming Trump administration at risk. President-elect Donald J. Trump is reportedly considering different candidates for the position.
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