The mother of Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary nominee of President-elect Donald Trump, argued on her son’s behalf Wednesday as his future nomination seemed to be in doubt in the Senate due to accusations of sexual assault and alcohol consumption.
During an interview on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends,” Penelope Hegseth discussed an email she sent to her son in 2018 accusing him of mistreating women for years. The New York Times revealed the details of the email last week.
“I rushed when I wrote that. I had strong feelings when I wrote that. As a mom, I wrote that,” she told the network, adding that Pete Hegseth was “going through a really tough divorce” at the time.
She went on, “I wrote that out of love,” “And about two hours later, I retracted it with an apology, but nobody’s seen that.”
NBC News has not been able to access the email, but Penelope Hegseth later told the Times that she regretted sending it. She also told the newspaper that she said her claims in the email were untrue and that she immediately apologized to Hegseth for sending it.
“It is shameful but not surprising that the NYT is publishing a story about one out of context snippet from an illegally obtained private conversation between a mother and her son,” read a statement from the Trump transition team, which Hegseth’s attorney handed along despite his refusal to supply one. This exercise’s sole goal is to discredit Mr. Hegseth.
Hegseth has denied mistreating women and the 2017 sexual assault accusation, claiming that the event was consensual. He and his accuser later came to an undisclosed settlement. In addition, Hegseth did not answer inquiries regarding the drinking accusations on Tuesday night.
“The Left is scared of disrupters and change agents,” Hegseth wrote in a post on X on Wednesday, promising not to withdraw his bid to become Trump’s secretary of defense. I and @realDonaldTrump frighten them. Thus, they spread lies and false information using phony, unnamed sources. Truth is not what they desire.
“Our fighters never give up, and I won’t either.
When asked on “Fox & Friends” about the claims of infidelity, heavy drinking, sexual assault, and financial mismanagement, Penelope Hegseth responded, “As parents, it is our responsibility to make corrections. They are supposed to speak the truth, and like Pete, I have a lot of passion, so occasionally I say things that make me feel something. None of that, in my opinion, is accurate.
“No, he doesn’t treat women badly. “He’s experienced some challenging circumstances,” she continued. “I m not going to list them by name, but I would just say that some of those, some of those attachments or descriptions, are just not true, especially anymore.”
“I want people to judge my son for who he is today, not what he might have been seven years ago,” she said, claiming that the majority of the allegations are “misinformation.”
“Pete has changed. He has been altered, redeemed, and pardoned. After seven years, I believe we are all the same,” she reaffirmed, referring to her son as a “different guy.”
Penelope Hegseth also stated that she thinks her son is capable of serving as secretary of defense, stating that his experience as a Fox News TV anchor has equipped him with the skills necessary for the position, including effective communication, quick thinking, and leadership.
When asked whether she believes the unfavorable allegations about her son have served as a diversion at the start of Trump’s second term, she responded, “To a degree, but I think it can be overcome.”
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