Pete Hegseth Publishes Column Saying Having Sex with an Unconscious Woman Is Not Rape

Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary candidate of Donald Trump, who was elected US President in November 2024, took office. examination For his past where a woman accused him of sexual assault. In response, Snopes readers and various online posts raised another issue. Action from Hegseth’s past -Various allegations that he published or wrote an op-ed in a college newspaper saying that sex with an unconscious woman is not rape.

claim appeared in xalong with a screenshot of the text of the alleged article. x post stated Hegseth was responsible for the publication of one such column: “Pete Hegseth published a column in college claiming that having sex with an unconscious woman is not rape. The article published by Hegseth claimed that rape requires both non-consent and ‘coercion,’ and women who faint cannot experience ‘coercion’ .”

(X user @JuddLegum)

A post on x He claimed that Hegseth wrote the column himself: “(Hegseth) wrote an article for the college newspaper stating that having sex with an unconscious woman is not rape. Why? Because the criteria for rape are not met. Well, she is unconscious and can’t say no or fight back.”

(X user @LittleS61138811)

The quoted column stated:

(A) confusing but mandatory orientation program revolved entirely around whether an instance of sexual intercourse constituted “rape.” The actual incident depicted in the skit was not actually a clear case of rape; at least in my hometown. (In short, although sexual intercourse was not consented to, there was no coercion involved as the girl drank herself into unconsciousness. Both criteria must be met for rape. Unfortunately, the panelists never addressed a legal definition of rape.) But the panel was all women. . I claimed that there was rape in the session I attended.

In short, Hegseth published such a column while serving as publisher of The Princeton Tory magazine. To be clear, he didn’t write this. This column was written by another student, John Andrews, in the September 2002 issue.

We reached out to Hegseth at the time to learn more about his role in the decision-making process regarding the magazine’s content. We’ll update this story if we get more information.

Was Hegseth the Princeton Tory’s Publisher?

Hegseth, who graduate in 2003 student at Princeton University and publisher Princeton Tory magazine.

We found the quoted section On page 9 of the September 2002 issue of the magazine explains he is “the sole voice of conservative and moderate students at Princeton University.” Author John Andrews wrote (emphasis ours):

Moreover, the leadership’s desire to brainwash is also evident in fiascos like the aforementioned “Thoughts on Diversity” as well as “Saturday Night Sex.” The second, a surprising but mandatory orientation program, revolved entirely around whether an instance of sexual intercourse constituted “rape.” The actual incident depicted in the skit was not actually a clear case of rape; at least in my hometown. (In short, although sexual intercourse was not consented to, there was no coercion involved as the girl drank herself into unconsciousness. Both criteria must be met for rape. Unfortunately, the panelists never addressed a legal definition of rape.) But the panel was all women. . I claimed that there was rape in the session I attended. Regardless of the technical details, this esoteric event was the sole focus of the presentation. The panel ignored the mundane but profound moral issues surrounding sexuality that students face on a daily basis. The administration does great moral harm to the student body when it so leniently implements a program that covers the logistics of a one-night stand, ignoring metaphysics.

To summarize, Andrews said that this was not a clear example of rape because the girl did not resist violence or threats and was unconscious.

On the second page of this issue of The Princeton Tory is a welcome note from Hegseth as publisher. He wrote:

We hope that the Conservative Party will in some way help shape your perspective on the world. If you are conservative, please write, if not, please read. We believe that conservative ideas such as minimum government, personal responsibility, traditional family values, and a strong military are the cornerstone of a strong society. While academia turns its back on much that is traditional and conservative, we offer our views as a challenge to those who seek to build a new world by destroying many of the features we value in our civilization.

Inside Princeton Alumni WeeklyA November 2024 article in the university’s official alumni-focused magazine describes Hegseth’s time as undergraduate publisher of The Princeton Tory. She criticized a women’s organization on campus, and her magazine also published a letter mocking the Pride event on campus:

In his year as a Tory broadcaster, he wrote that by the end of his term he was looking for ways to “‘legitimize conservatism as a philosophy’ and ‘facilitate campus debate.'” He elaborated on details of the political philosophy he would later espouse as a Fox News host, describing conservatives as intolerant of “gays, feminists and atheists” He condemned those who characterized him as “concrete” and praised conservatives’ “concrete solutions to social ills.”

“By advocating government support of the traditional family unit, the return of acceptability of the ‘housewife’ occupation, freedom from oppressive government oversight, moral responsibility, and a revival of religious faith, conservatives provide a working blueprint for a free and prosperous future.” ” he wrote.

During her tenure as Tory broadcaster, Hegseth criticized the Organization of Women Leaders (OWL) on campus, even publishing a cover story featuring an image of an owl in the sights of a gun. In his 2020 book, American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free, Hegseth detailed his interactions with OWL members, describing how they endorsed a male candidate for Undergraduate Student Government president over a female candidate on the grounds that he was pro-choice. Who was pro-life? PAW was unable to independently verify this claim; Abortion was not mentioned as a campaign issue in Prince’s articles at the time.

“Through this experience, I realized that old-school feminism (you know, actually fighting for women’s equality) was dead and leftism was taking over,” Hegseth wrote in 2020.

Support for examining the Western canon surfaced in his letters as well as on LGBTQ issues. In October 2002, “Conservative editors” led by Hegseth published a memo mocking campus pride events: “Hey, boys can wear bras and girls can wear ties until we’re blue in the face, but that won’t change the fact that the homosexual lifestyle is abnormal and immoral .”

In summary, although Hegseth did not write the article in question about rape, he was the publisher of The Princeton Tory when the issue in question was published. Publishers in general focus Responsible for and responsible for the editorial and business direction of a magazine. We contacted the journal to learn more about the publisher’s roles and responsibilities.

Hegseth left his position at Fox News after Trump nominated him to be secretary of defense. However, his lawyer confirmed NPR He paid money to a woman who accused him of sexual assault to prevent her from filing a lawsuit, and this arrangement was reportedly designed to protect his position at Fox News. Hegseth denied the allegations.