Pete Hegseth Faces Abuse Allegations from His Own Mother

Pete Hegseth's mother, Penelope, criticized him in a 2018 email for allegedly mistreating women, including his ex-wives, following his contentious divorce from his second wife, Samantha. The email, obtained by The New York Times, accused Hegseth of abusive behavior, but Penelope later recanted her claims, calling them untrue. The controversy includes past allegations against Hegseth, such as a rape accusation he denied and settled, and an affair with a Fox News executive. Trump's communications director criticized the publication of the email.