NYT uses private family email to attack Pentagon nominee


Listen To Story Above

The New York Times published a controversial article by reporter Sharon LaFraniere focusing on a private email exchange between Pentagon Chief nominee Pete Hegseth and his mother from 2018. The report highlighted emotional criticisms his mother made during his divorce proceedings, despite her later retraction and regret.

According to sources close to Hegseth, multiple news outlets declined to publish this story before the Times. LaFraniere, a Pulitzer Prize winner for Russia collusion coverage and COVID-19 reporting, promoted the article as a free-access “gift” on social media.

The email in question, sent during Hegseth’s divorce from his second wife Samantha, contained maternal criticism of his behavior. His mother later immediately apologized, telling the Times the contents were written “in anger, with emotion” and were untrue, defending her son as “a good father, husband.”

The article detailed Hegseth’s marital history, including his first marriage to Meredith in 2004, followed by his 2010 marriage to Samantha, and his current marriage to former Fox News producer Jennifer since 2019.

The publication drew sharp criticism from various public figures. Combat veteran Sean Parnell condemned it as “despicably low,” expressing concern for Hegseth’s children. Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly mocked the Times’s decision to publish such private correspondence.

This article follows other recent controversial coverage of Hegseth, including a Washington Post story about unsubstantiated rape allegations from 2017, which police records later contradicted, and a Reuters report about alleged white supremacy tattoos, which Breitbart News traced to far-left veterans with Democratic political ties.

[Note: All original quotes have been maintained exactly as they appeared in the original text.]

Previous articleVolleyball team won’t play against transgender opponent
Next articleMichigan-Ohio game ends in fight over flag celebration