New York, New York - The mother of Fox News host Pete Hegseth came to his defense as President-elect Donald Trump seeks to appoint him to run the Defense Department.

On Wednesday, Penelope Hegseth sat down for an interview with Fox News as she sought to set the record straight after The New York Times published an email she wrote in 2018 where she called her son "an abuser of women."

"I really hope that you will not listen to the media and that you will listen to Pete," Penelope told viewers.

"I wrote that in haste, I wrote that with deep emotions... I wrote that out of love and about two hours later, I retracted that with an apology email, but no one has seen that."

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Penelope admonished the media for sharing "misinformation" and attempting to destroy her son's chances at joining Trump's team.

"It feels almost criminal when reporters call you and threaten you," she argued. "They are in it for the commission and the money, and they don't care who they hurt."

The interview came as Hegseth's nomination, which will require Senate approval, has been left in uncertainty amid newly revealed allegations of misconduct and sexual assault against him.

While Penelope said she "doesn't believe" any of the allegations, she was adamant about assuring viewers her son is "not the Pete from seven years ago" and insisted he is a "changed man."