In defending himself against criticism that threatens his nomination as the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth has enlisted the help of someone usually called on by a 12-year-old child; his mother.
For context, Hegseth’s nomination for the high-ranking government role is hanging in the balance amid a flood of news stories about alleged sexual misconduct, excessive drinking, and financial mismanagement. All that on top of the fact that, as a former Fox News presenter, Hegseth’s qualifications for the role have rightfully been called into question. That’s where his mother, Penelope Hegseth, comes to the rescue of her man-child.
Penelope recently appeared on her son’s former show, Fox & Friends, in part to beg Donald Trump to not drop Pete as the nominee, but also to “set the record straight” on the 2018 email she sent her son that basically kick-started his current downfall. Penelope’s plea comes amid reports that Trump is eyeing other candidates (hold for jump scare… Ron DeSantis) in the event that Pete’s nomination falls through, and it follows the New York Times’ publication of an email in which Penelope called her son an “abuser of women” and condemned his treatment of his second wife during their divorce.
The divorce followed Pete’s affair with a Fox News producer who would go on to become his third wife. On the top of the list for every mother with a questionable son is damage control, so Penelope vouched for Pete on Fox & Friends and tried to minimize the severity of that explosive email. “We really believe that [Pete] is not that man he was seven years ago,” Penelope said in reference to her 2018 characterization of her son.
Despite being the one to write the email that was eventually published, and appearing on a media program, Penelope urged us to “not listen to the media” (?), and provided context around why she sent the email in the first place. “If we all went back seven years, we would see maybe we are not the people we are today,” she said. “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.”
Penelope went on to claim that after sending the email — which she “wrote in haste and with deep emotion” — she later issued an apology message to Pete in which she “retracted” her comments, but that second email was never published. As a reminder, the email Penelope wrote included quips like “I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego,” and “as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that.” I’m guessing she didn’t get a letter from Pete on Mother’s Day.
Penelope’s defense of her son didn’t stop with Fox & Friends. According to some sources, she has also been making damage control calls to senators on Pete’s behalf, like my own mom did with my school principal whenever I got a timeout in kindergarten. Regardless, Penelope’s email is only one part of broader question marks around Pete’s nomination, since he’s also the subject of an accusation of sexual assault that allegedly occurred in 2017, as well as reports that he is harboring a drinking problem.
God love her for trying, but a mother’s support can only go so far, especially if that mother once said she had “no respect” for you and blames the media for an email she wrote with her own damn fingers.