Pete Hegseth's mom apologized after sending nasty email accusing him of domestic violence against then-wife

Pete Hegseth’s mother was quick to apologize for sending her son an acrimonious email that sullied his character and claimed he mistreated his then-wife, Breitbart News reported Saturday after viewing the follow-up correspondence. Hegseth, who is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, was in the midst of a bitter divorce proceeding at the time.

The email apology was sent by Penelope Hegseth on May 1, 2018, just one day after she criticized her son, saying she was writing out of anger and emotion and that she should have thought twice before making the accusations. She said the divorce had been difficult for her as well and she knew her son loved his children and would always want to continue to be a good father. She forwarded the email to Hegseth’s then-wife Samantha, according to Breitbart.

The email was radically different from the previous one that The New York Times chose to publish, contrary to the wishes of Penelope Hegseth. When The Times told her that they were going to publish her first email, she noted that it wasn’t the end of the discussion and that she had sent a second, more conciliatory, email. The mother made it clear that she had sent the first email “in anger, with emotion” because of the pressure of the divorce and her concerns for the aftermath.

The elder Hegseth also came to the defense of her son and renounced how she had negatively described his character and suggested his treatment of women was unacceptable. She told the paper, “It is not true. It has never been true,” and insisted, “I know my son. He is a good father, husband.” She said it would be “disgusting” if The Times went through with their threat to disclose the email.

That didn’t stop Sharon LaFraniere from going with the story and even making sure more people would read it by making it available to anyone and not just subscribers.

An unnamed source is quoted by Breitbart as identifying LaFraniere as one of the leading proponents of the Russia collusion hoax and a journalist with animosity towards Hegseth. “She said that Pete Hegseth can’t be SECDEF and that she’s going to see to it. I kind of looked at her like she was crazy and wondered how she was going to see to it, but now I guess I don’t have to wonder anymore.”

The source claimed that Penelope Hegseth did not forward her second email to The Times because of a lack of trust but would send it to Breitbart insead. Pete Hegseth’s nomination has received massive pushback from the Washington establishment and he has even received bomb threats. He has promised to end DEI programs in the US military and to return the focus to operational effectiveness.