Pete Hegseth’s Mother Defends Embattled Son On Fox & Friends — Blames ‘Despicable’ Media For Troubles

Penelope Hegseth defended her son, Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host Donald Trump nominated to serve as his secretary of defense, amid several troubling reports that have threatened his chances of confirmation.

Since the former Fox & Friends Weekend co-host was nominated as to run the Defense Department by the president-elect, a series of troubling reports have surfaced, including details of extramarital affairs, an allegation of sexual assault and criminal investigation into it, and a shocking New Yorker report on Hegseth’s troubled time at two veterans’ organizations.

Hegseth’s mother was drawn into the ordeal when the New York Times unearthed a private email she sent in 2018 to her son following his divorce from his second wife, who is the mother of two of his children. The Times reported on the email:

“On behalf of all the women (and I know it’s many) you have abused in some way, I say … get some help and take an honest look at yourself,” Penelope Hegseth wrote, stating that she still loved him.

She also wrote: “I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth.”

Penelope Hegseth appeared on Fox & Friends Wednesday morning following a Wall Street Journal report that Team Trump is now considering Governor Ron DeSantis as a replacement nominee. Hegseth’s confirmation process seems more untenable now that six Republican senators, according to the Journal, are not yet on board.

Steve Doocy opened by reading tough excerpts from the Times report to Hegseth, who opened by first appealing to Trump. “Thank you for your belief in my son. We all believe in him. We really believe that he is not the man he was seven years ago. I’m not that mother, and I hope people will hear that story today and the truth of that story.”

“I am here to tell the truth,” she said. “To tell the truth to the American people and tell the truth to senators on the hill, especially female senators. I really hope that you will not listen to the media and you will listen to Pete.”

“You are here to tell us because you are in the news now,” Doocy replied. “Why did you write that e-mail? What was going on?”

“Go back seven years, if we all went back seven years, we would see maybe we are not the people we are today,” Ms. Hegseth replied. “They were going through, Pete, and his wife were going through a difficult divorce, a very emotional time and I’m sure many of you across the country understand how difficult divorce is on a family. There is emotion. We say things and I wrote that in haste, with deep emotion, as a parent. About two hours later, my husband tells me I should think through things more. Pete and I are both very passionate people. I wrote that out of love, two hours later, I retracted it with an apology and nobody has seen that. It was a difficult time.”

“I want to say something about the media,” she added. “Part of today is to discredit media and how they operate. When they contact you, I let a few phone calls go. They call and threaten you, first thing they do. Unless you make a statement, we will publish it as is. That is despicable way to treat anymore, threats are dangerous and they are hard on families.”

“To recap, you were angry about what was going on, his behavior during the divorce, and you wrote that e-mail,” Doocy said. “Couple hours later, you apologize and you worked it out?”

“Oh, yeah, Pete and I are very close today. Our whole family is very tight-knit,” she replied. “I think that we as parents always parent.”

She continued to hammer the media, in a notably maternal way, and reiterated why her son is well prepared to run the Department of Defense because he served in two tours of duty and as a host on Fox News.

When asked if he is a “changed man,” she replied, “Absolutely. I believe that with all my heart, I wouldn’t be sitting here if I didn’t believe he was the man for the job.”

She concluded by thanking everyone at Fox News for how they’ve “grown him as a leader.”

“He’s got a big heart. He’s very smart. He’s the most faithful patriot of this country, he loves his country, loves his country,” she concluded. “He’s fought and almost died for his country. He’s a good dad. He’s an amazing son and father and that is the Pete, I want people to know. I want to say one more thing, I said I believe he’s the man for the job. I believe he’s the man for such a time as this.”

“What is your message to New York Times?” Doocy asked.

“I would say, I don’t think the way you operate, it feels almost criminal when reporters call and threaten you,” she replied. “I don’t think people know that is how they operate. They are in it for the commission and don’t care who they hurt, families, children. I just don’t believe that is the right way to do things.”

Watch above via Fox News.