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Pete Hegseth’s mother spoke out on Fox News to defend her son’s character, stating that he has undergone significant personal growth and change. She appeared on the network where he was employed to vouch for his character as President-elect Donald J. Trump’s potential defense secretary.
Written by Jennifer S. Forsyth.
Writing from the capital
On Wednesday morning, Penelope Hegseth, the mother of Pete Hegseth, mentioned that her son has changed since 2018. She had previously sent an email accusing him of mistreating women regularly and lacking integrity and moral values.
During an interview on "Fox & Friends," Mrs. Hegseth stated that Pete has undergone a transformation and is now a different person. She described him as redeemed, forgiven, and changed.
"I hope that everyone, especially our female senators, will take the time to get to know Pete today and listen to him with an open heart. It’s important to hear the truth about Pete, and it’s worth noting that he treats women with respect."
She was mentioned in The New York Times after they 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 mentioned that she did not stand by what she had said in that email and had already apologized to her son in a subsequent email.
Following recent accusations of alcohol abuse and mismanagement of nonprofit organizations detailed in an article by The New Yorker, Mr. Hegseth has also been under scrutiny for a police complaint alleging rape at a political conference in 2017. Although no charges were brought after an investigation, Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer stated that the encounter was consensual.
The negative consequences of the situation have put Mr. Hegseth’s opportunity to head 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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