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Pete Hegseth’s mother went on a Fox show to speak positively about her son’s character, stating that he has undergone personal growth and change. She was advocating for her son, who has been selected by President-elect Donald J. Trump as the defense secretary.
Written by Jennifer S. Forsyth
Updating 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 accusing him of regularly mistreating women and lacking morals and integrity.
During an interview on "Fox & Friends," Mrs. Hegseth described Pete as a transformed individual who has been forgiven and redeemed.
"I hope that people, especially our female senators, will take the time to understand who Pete is today. I urge you to listen to him with an open heart and recognize the truth about Pete," she expressed. Additionally, she emphasized that Pete does not mistreat women.
She revealed herself after The New York Times released 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 already apologized to her son in a subsequent email.
Following reports of alcohol abuse and mismanagement within nonprofit organizations, an article in The New Yorker brought attention to these issues. Additionally, Mr. Hegseth has been accused of rape by a woman who stated the incident occurred at a political conference in 2017. Despite an investigation that led to no charges, Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, 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 different candidates for the position.
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