Laura Petrillo recalls a day in 2002 on the Princeton campus when she engaged in a heated argument with Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon. She was posting flyers for Princeton’s Organization of Women Leaders (OWL), a feminist group, while Hegseth and his friends from the conservative paper, The Princeton Tory, were tearing down her posters and putting up their own. This incident was just one of several examples of Hegseth’s clashes with modern feminism during his time at Princeton from 1999 to 2003.
Hegseth, who was the publisher of The Tory and a prominent conservative figure on campus, faced criticism for publishing articles that were controversial, including one that depicted a cartoon owl in a gunsight and suggested violence against feminism. Other articles written under his watch espoused views that were deemed homophobic and misogynistic.
While some former classmates described Hegseth as friendly and willing to make light of himself, others, like Brittany Hume Charm, recalled events where he appeared dismissive and intimidating, such as showing up in his Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) uniform to a meeting with OWL.
As Hegseth’s views on diversity and women in the military come under scrutiny ahead of his confirmation hearing, his college years and the controversies surrounding his time at Princeton have garnered less attention. Despite differing opinions among those who knew him during that period, there is concern about the positions he has taken in recent years regarding women in combat and diversity initiatives in the military.
Muir’s views. Muir became an attorney in the Army and served in various posts, including South Korea.
**RAPE SCENARIO**
In an interview with Reuters, Thema Bryant, who led the Princeton office dedicated to combating and responding to sexual assault from 2001 to 2004, raised concerns about a 2002 edition of Hegseth’s Tory that criticized a freshman orientation course on sexual assault. The course featured a scenario in which a student drank herself unconscious and was subsequently raped. An article in the Tory suggested this did not qualify as a clear case of rape because the victim did not experience duress while unconscious. Although Bryant does not recall reading the article at the time, she emphasized the need for Hegseth to apologize for what she perceived as insensitivity towards survivors.
“And if you’re talking about (the department of) defense, we would have to wonder who are you going to defend? Who are you going to protect? And can you be trusted to do that?” she questioned.
Sexual assault remains a persistent issue within the military. When asked about sexual assault on campus during Hegseth’s tenure at Princeton, a university spokesperson referred Reuters to Department of Education data showing 28 forced sex offenses on Princeton’s campus between 2001 and 2003.
According to Hegseth’s father, Brian Hegseth, his son arrived at Princeton already holding a deep admiration for the military, coupled with conservative leanings and values.
“Instead of just going along with the tide, he thought it through and believed that what he had already was worth preserving,” Brian Hegseth remarked.
While serving as a conservative figure on campus, Hegseth often found himself the target of jokes. An old jest about Hegseth resurfaced among Princeton alumni after his nomination by Trump to lead the Pentagon in November. The joke, originally published in a campus humor magazine during Hegseth’s senior year, quoted one student commenting to another about Hegseth’s intentions regarding sending individuals back to India.
Following his graduation from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth served in various locations, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, earning two Bronze Stars. He later obtained a Master’s degree from Harvard University in 2013.
Hegseth has faced what he describes as a smear campaign by the media, particularly regarding past incidents, such as a 2021 report by Reuters where he was labeled an “insider threat” by a fellow member of the Army National Guard due to his tattoos. This incident reportedly led to his removal from Guard duty in Washington during President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing in relation to a 2017 sexual assault accusation that did not result in charges, as well as allegations of excessive drinking and financial mismanagement at veterans’ organizations. His mother has supported his defense, retracting an email that surfaced criticizing his treatment of women during one of his divorces.
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