Pete Hegseth, the man tapped by Donald Trump to become Defense Secretary, has come under fire from Democrats and other liberal pundits after he was branded as an “abuser of women” by his own mother.
A report from The New York Times featured a 2018 email to the former Fox News anchor from Penelope Hegseth, where she said she had “no respect” for her son and that he needed “take an honest look at yourself.”
The Times reported that in an interview on Friday, Penelope Hegseth had backtracked on the comments and said she had sent her son an immediate follow-up email, apologizing for what she had said.
But social media commentators were quick to react to the report, with former Democratic Representative Bakari Sellers writing: “This letter from Pete Hesgeths mom is…whoa. MAGA will turn a blind eye but this is something.”
“Man Pete Hegseth’s mom thinks he’s a real piece of s***,” wrote attorney Andrew Fleischman.
Author James Surowiecki added: "Hegseth was already unqualified to be Defense Secretary, simply because he has zero experience running a large organization. His history with women (as set out by his mom) also makes him totally unsuited to run a department with hundreds of thousands of female employees.”
“Political commentator Wonder how Republicans are going to spin this statement from Pete Hegseth’s OWN MOTHER,” said commentator Brian Tyler Cohen.
In her email Penelope Hegseth accused her son of routinely mistreating women for years, though said she still loved him. “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,” she wrote.
This letter from Pete Hesgeths mom is…whoa. MAGA will turn a blind eye but this is something. https://t.co/RYEQtSVweG pic.twitter.com/qZwnWiaMni
— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) November 30, 2024
The email went on: “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.”
In her Friday interview with The Times Hegseth said she had sent the email “in anger, with emotion” at a time when he and his wife were going through a very difficult divorce.
Man Pete Hegseth's mom thinks he's a real piece of shit. pic.twitter.com/EO3lXXbwTC
— Andrew Fleischman (@ASFleischman) November 30, 2024
Following the report, conservatives also condemned The Times for publishing the exchange.
“The New York Times is publishing a 6 year old private email between a mother & her son. This is despicably low on so many levels,” wrote Republican author Sean Parnell. “Families have issues. All the time. To make those issues public for the sole purpose of tanking a nomination is evil. Period.”
“Pete has children. They will read this. Their friends will read it. It is irresponsible as hell to even publish such a thing. Democrats don’t have to deal with this BS. It’s sickening.”
Hegseth has also previously been criticized for his attitude towards female military members, having previously said: “It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated.”
