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Pete Hegseth’s mother spoke on a Fox show to defend her son’s character, stating that he has changed for the better. 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, who is the mother of Pete Hegseth, mentioned on Wednesday that her son has changed since 2018. She had sent an email at that time accusing him of mistreating women and lacking morals and character.
Mrs. Hegseth stated on "Fox & Friends" that Pete has transformed into a different person, now redeemed, forgiven, and changed.
"I really hope that today people will take the time to understand who Pete is, especially our female senators. I urge you to listen to him with an open heart and recognize the truth about Pete," she expressed. She also emphasized that Pete does not mistreat women.
She made a public statement after The New York Times published an email she had sent while her ex-husband, Mr. Hegseth, was going through a difficult divorce from his second wife. In an interview with The Times on Friday, she explained that she did not stand by the content of the email and had already apologized to her son in a subsequent message.
Following recent allegations of alcohol abuse and mismanagement within nonprofit organizations, an article in The New Yorker shed light on these issues. Additionally, Mr. Hegseth was accused of rape by a woman at a political conference in 2017, although no charges were filed after an investigation. Mr. Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, maintains that the encounter was consensual.
The negative consequences of the situation have put Mr. Hegseth’s potential appointment as the head of the Defense Department in the next Trump administration at risk. President-elect Donald J. Trump is reportedly considering alternative candidates for the position.
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