24 views 3 mins 0 comments

The Redemption of Pete Hegseth: A Mother’s Defense Amid Trump Transition Challenges

In Citizen
January 14, 2025

Transition from Trump’s

Transition of power

Transition of power

Prom

The mother of the person nominated to be defense secretary by President-elect Donald J. Trump went on the same network where her son used to work to explain that he has undergone significant personal growth and change.

Written by Jennifer S. Forsyth

Providing information from

On Wednesday morning, Penelope Hegseth, the mother of Pete Hegseth, stated that her son has changed since 2018. She previously 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 undergone a transformation and is now a different individual, having been forgiven and changed.

"I hope that everyone, especially female senators, will take the time to understand who Pete is today. I encourage you to listen to him with an open heart and recognize the truth about Pete. It’s important to note that he does not mistreat women."

She made an appearance after The New York Times published an email she wrote 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 didn’t mean what she said in the email and had since apologized to her son in a subsequent email.

Following recent reports in The New Yorker detailing allegations of alcohol abuse and mismanagement within nonprofit organizations, Mr. Hegseth has also been accused of rape at a political conference in 2017. Despite a police complaint, no charges were filed and Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer maintains that the encounter was consensual.

The negative consequences of the situation have put Mr. Hegseth’s potential leadership of the Defense Department in the upcoming Trump administration at risk, as President-elect Donald J. Trump is reportedly considering alternative candidates for the position.

We are currently experiencing difficulties accessing the content of the article.

To use this website properly, make sure to turn on JavaScript

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 already a member? Sign in.

Interested in accessing all content from The Times? Subscribe today.

Prom

Index of Pages

Navigation for Site Information