In 2018, Penelope Hegseth, the mother of Pete Hegseth, who was President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, sent him an email accusing him of mistreating women and lacking character.
According to a report from The New York Times, she expressed deep disappointment, claiming that her son had been abusing women for years, belittling them, lying, cheating, and using them to boost his own ego and power. She urged him to seek help and take an honest look at himself. Her harsh words described Pete as someone who had hurt many women.
Penelope later followed up with another message apologizing for the initial email, explaining that she had written it out of anger and emotion while her son was going through a divorce.
She retracted her accusations, insisting that Pete was not the man she had described and reaffirming her belief that he was a good father and husband. She also expressed her disgust at the email being made public, calling the situation “disgusting.”
The release of the email drew criticism, especially from Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, who condemned The New York Times for airing what he described as a snippet of an “illegally-obtained private email” that did not reflect the entire conversation.
Controversy Surrounds Pete Hegseth’s Defense Secretary Nomination Amid Allegations and Criticism
Cheung pointed out that Penelope had expressed regret in subsequent emails and apologized for her emotional outburst, which he felt the newspaper had unfairly taken out of context.
Pete Hegseth has been a controversial figure even before the email incident, facing allegations of sexual assault from a 2017 encounter. He has denied the accusations, stating the encounter was consensual and that the woman involved was the aggressor.
His attorney, Timothy Parlatore, defended him, saying the case was resolved after a police investigation, which found the woman had been involved in blackmail and that the accusations were false. Parlatore further criticized the allegations, claiming they undermine the seriousness of real sexual assault cases.
In addition to the assault allegations, Pete Hegseth has come under scrutiny for comments he made regarding women in the military. He stated in a recent interview that women should not hold combat roles, a remark that was met with backlash.
He has also called for the removal of “woke” generals from the Pentagon, including Gen. C.Q. Brown. Despite some Republican senators expressing skepticism about his nomination, no outright opposition has emerged yet, though his confirmation could be at risk if just a few Republicans join Democrats in opposing his appointment.
