Pete Hegseth published a column saying that sex with an unconscious woman is not rape

In November 2024, Pete Hegseth, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, came under pressure. strict supervision because of his past, in which a woman had accused him of sexual assault. In response, Snopes readers and several online posts brought up another action from Hegseth’s past: varying claims that he published or wrote a column in the college newspaper stating that sex with an unconscious woman was not rape.

The claim appeared on Xalong with a screenshot of the text from the alleged article. The X message declared Hegseth was responsible for publishing one such column: “Pete Hegseth published a college column claiming that having sex with an unconscious woman is not rape. The piece published by Hegseth claimed that rape is both failure to consent and ‘coercion’ requirement, and women who have fainted cannot experience ‘coercion’.”

(X-user @JuddLegum)

One message on X claimed that Hegseth wrote the column himself: “(Hegseth) wrote an article for his college newspaper saying that having sex with an unconscious woman is not rape. Why? Because the criteria for rape are not met. Well duh, she’s unconscious and can’t say no or fight back .”

(X user @LittleS61138811)

The quoted column read:

(A) baffling but mandatory orientation program that revolved entirely around whether an instance of sexual intercourse constituted “rape.” The actual example portrayed in the sketch was not, in fact, a clear-cut case of rape – at least not in my home state. (In short, even though intercourse was not consented, there was no coercion because the girl drank herself unconscious. For rape, both criteria must be met. Unfortunately, the panelists never cited any legal definition of rape.) Yet the panel existed out of all women at the session I attended – claimed it was rape.

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

We contacted Hegseth to learn more about his role in the decision-making process for the magazine’s content at the time. We will update this story as we get more information.

Was Hegseth the publisher of the Princeton Tory?

Hegseth, who graduated in 2003 it was a student at Princeton University and the publisher from The Princeton Tory magazine.

We found the quoted section on page 9 of the September issue of the magazine, in which describes itself as “the sole voice for conservative and moderate students at Princeton University.” The writer, John Andrews, wrote (emphasis ours):

Moreover, the leaders’ will to indoctrinate is evident from fiascos such as the aforementioned ‘Reflections on Diversity’ and also ‘Sex on a Saturday Night’. The latter, a baffling but mandatory orientation program, revolved entirely around the question of whether an instance of sexual intercourse constituted “rape.” The actual example portrayed in the sketch was not, in fact, a clear-cut case of rape – at least not in my home state. (In short, even though intercourse was not consented, there was no coercion because the girl drank herself unconscious. For rape, both criteria must be met. Unfortunately, the panelists never cited any legal definition of rape.) Yet the panel existed out of all women at the session I attended – claimed it was rape. Regardless of the technical details, this esoteric incident was the sole focus of the presentation. The panel ignored the mundane yet profound moral issues surrounding sexuality that students face on a daily basis. The administration does a great moral disservice to the student body when it implements a program that covers the logistics of the one-night stand, in a very permissive manner, while ignoring metaphysics.

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

The second page of this issue of The Princeton Tory contains a welcome message from Hegseth as publisher. He wrote:

It is our hope that in some way the Tories will help shape the way you view the world. If you are conservative, please write; if not, please read. We believe that conservative ideas – minimal government, personal responsibility, traditional family values ​​and a strong military – are the cornerstone of any strong society. And while academia has turned its back on most traditional and conservative causes, we present our views as a challenge to those who seek to build a new world by destroying many of the qualities we value in our civilization.

In Princeton Alumni Weeklyan official alumni-oriented magazine of the university, a November 2024 article described Hegseth when he was an undergraduate publisher of The Princeton Tory. He was critical of a women’s organization on campus, and his magazine also published a letter mocking a Pride event on campus:

In his year as Tory publisher, he sought to “legitimize conservatism as a philosophy” and “facilitate a campus discussion,” he wrote at the end of his term. He went on to describe the kind of political philosophy he would later embrace as a host of Fox News, decrying those who call conservatives intolerant of “gays, feminists and atheists” and conservatives’ “tangible solutions to societal ills ‘ praised.

“By advocating government support for the traditional family unit, a return to the acceptability of the homemaker profession, freedom from oppressive government surveillance, moral responsibility, and the revival of religious faith, conservatives offer a working blueprint for a free and prosperous future . ” he wrote.

During his term as Tory publisher, Hegseth was critical of the Organization of Women Leaders (OWL) on campus, and even had a cover story featuring an illustration of an owl in the crosshairs of a gun. In his 2020 book, American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free, Hegseth described his interactions with OWL members, describing an episode in which they supported a male candidate for president of the Undergraduate Student Government on the grounds that he was in favor of choice, over the female candidate. which was before life. PAW could not independently confirm this claim; Prince articles at the time did not mention abortion as a campaign issue.

“That experience,” Hegseth wrote in 2020, “made me realize that old-fashioned feminism (you know, basically fighting for women’s equality) was dead and that leftism had taken over.”

Support for studying the Western canon was evident in his missions, as well as in LGBTQ issues. In October 2002, the ‘Tory editors’ led by Hegseth published a note mocking campus pride events: ‘Hey, boys can wear bras and girls can wear ties ’til we’re blue in the face, but that’s changing nothing about the situation. reality that the homosexual lifestyle is abnormal and immoral.”

In short, although Hegseth did not write the aforementioned article on rape, he was publisher of The Princeton Tory when the issue in question was published. Publishers in general focus and are responsible for the editorial and commercial management of a magazine. We reached out to the magazine to find out more about the publisher’s roles and responsibilities.

Hegseth left his position at Fox News after Trump nominated him for secretary of defense. However, his lawyer confirmed this NPR that he had paid off a woman who accused him of sexual assault to prevent her from suing him, and that arrangement was reportedly intended to protect his position at Fox News. Hegseth denied her accusations.

Sources:

Andries, Johannes. “Confessions of an Ex-Freshman: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” The Princeton Tory, September 2002, https://www.theprincetontory.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/2002-Freshman.pdf. Accessed November 26, 2024.

Chappell, Bill. “Police report details, timeline of sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth.” NPR, November 21, 2024. NPR, https://www.npr.org/2024/11/21/nx-s1-5199630/police-report-gives-details-timeline-of-the-sexuality-aanranding-claim-against-pete-hegseth. Accessed November 26, 2024.

“The Princeton Tory – the leading Princeton publication of conservative thought.” The Princeton Tory. https://www.theprincetontory.com/. Accessed November 26, 2024.

“What was Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth ’03 like in Princeton?” Princeton Alumni Weekly, November 13, 2024. https://paw.princeton.edu/article/what-was-defense-secretary-nominee-pete-hegseth-03-princeton. Accessed November 26, 2024.

“What are the duties of a publisher?” Kron, August 13, 2013, https://work.chron.com/job-duties-publisher-24391.html. Accessed November 26, 2024.