Pete Hegseth published an article stating that having sex with an unconscious woman is not rape

In November 2024, Pete Hegseth, US President-elect Donald Trump’s candidate for Secretary of Defense, came under power observation for his past in which a woman accused him of sexual assault. In response, Snopes readers and various online posts brought up another action from Hegseth’s past – various claims that he either published or wrote a column in the college newspaper in which he stated that sex with an unconscious woman is not rape.

The law appeared on Xalong with a screenshot of text from the alleged article. Post X he stated Hegseth was responsible for publishing this column: “Pete Hegseth published a column in college in which he argued that having sex with an unconscious woman was not rape. The article published by Hegseth stated that rape requires both lack of consent and “coercion” and that women passing out cannot experience “coercion”.

(user X @JuddLegum)

One post per X claimed that Hegseth wrote the column himself: “(Hegseth) wrote an article for his university newspaper in which he stated that sex with an unconscious woman is not rape. Why? Because the criteria for rape are not met. Well, she’s unconscious and can’t say no or fight back.”

(user X @LittleS61138811)

The quoted column says:

(A) a fun, if mandatory, orientation program revolving entirely around whether a given instance of sexual intercourse constitutes “rape.” The actual case depicted in the skit was not actually a clear case of rape – at least not in my home state. (In short, although consent to intercourse was not given, there was no coercion because the girl drank herself unconscious. In the case of rape, both criteria must be met. Unfortunately, the panelists never provided any legal definition of rape.) However, in the panel – only women in the session , which I participated in – she claimed it was rape.

In short, Hegseth did publish such a column while serving as editor of The Princeton Tory magazine. To be clear, he didn’t write this himself. The article was written in September 2002 by another student, John Andrews.

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

Was Hegseth the publisher of the Princeton Tory?

Hegseth, who he graduated in 2003 he was student at Princeton University and publisher Princeton Tory magazine.

We found the quote section on page 9 of the September 2002 issue of the magazine, which describes itself as “the sole voice of conservative and moderate Princeton University students.” Writer John Andrews wrote (emphasis ours):

Moreover, the leaders’ indoctrination will is confirmed by fiascoes such as the previously mentioned “Reflections on Diversity” and “Saturday Night Sex.” This latest, fun but mandatory orientation program focused entirely on whether a given instance of sexual intercourse constituted “rape.” The actual case depicted in the skit was not actually a clear case of rape – at least not in my home state. (In short, although consent to intercourse was not given, there was no coercion because the girl drank herself unconscious. In the case of rape, both criteria must be met. Unfortunately, the panelists never provided any legal definition of rape.) However, in the panel – only women in the session , which I participated in – she claimed it was rape. Regardless of the technical details, this esoteric incident 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 students by implementing a program that includes the logistics of a one-night stand in a very liberal manner, ignoring metaphysics.

In conclusion, Andrews found that because the girl did not resist the force or threats and was unconscious, it was not a clear example of rape.

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

We hope that the Tories will in some way help shape the way you see the world. If you are a conservative, write, if not, 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 away from most things traditional and conservative, we present our views as a challenge to those who are trying to build a new world by destroying many of the features we value in our civilization.

IN Princeton Alumni Weeklythe university’s official magazine for graduate students, a November 2024 article profiled Hegseth while he was the undergraduate editor of The Princeton Tory. He was critical of one of the women’s organizations on campus, and his magazine also published a letter mocking the Pride event on campus:

During his tenure as Tory editor, he sought to “legitimize conservatism as a philosophy” and “facilitate discussion on campus,” he wrote near the end of his term. He then went on to detail the kind of political philosophy he later espoused as a Fox News host, denouncing those who call conservatives intolerant of “gays, feminists and atheists” and praising the “tangible solutions to social problems” conservatives propose.

“By advocating for government support for the traditional family, restored acceptance of the ‘homemaker’ profession, freedom from oppressive government surveillance, moral responsibility, and a revival of religious faith, conservatives provide a working blueprint for a free and prosperous future,” he wrote.

During his tenure as Tory editor, Hegseth was critical of the Organization of Women Leaders (OWL) on campus, even running a cover story that included an illustration of an owl in the crosshairs of a gun. In his 2020 book American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free, Hegseth detailed his interactions with OWL members, describing an episode in which they supported a male candidate for Undergraduate Student Body president on the grounds that he was pro-choice rather than candidate who was pro-life. PAW could not independently confirm this claim; Prince’s articles from the time do not mention abortion as a campaign issue.

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

In his writings, as well as on LGBTQ issues, there has been support for the study of the Western canon. In October 2002, under Hegseth’s leadership, the “Tory editorial board” 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’s not will change the reality that the homosexual lifestyle is abnormal and immoral.”

In summary, although Hegseth did not write the article on rape mentioned, he was the editor of The Princeton Tory at the time the issue in question was published. Publishers in general center and are responsible for the editorial and commercial management of the magazine. We reached out to the magazine to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of an editor.

Hegseth left his post at Fox News after Trump’s nomination as defense secretary. However, this was confirmed by his representative NPR that he paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault to prevent her from suing him, an arrangement reportedly intended to protect his position at Fox News. Hegseth denied her allegations.

Sources:

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

Chappell, Bill. “Police report includes details and 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-sexual-assault-claim-against-pete-hegseth. Accessed: November 26, 2024

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

“What did Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth look like in 2003 at 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 publisher’s responsibilities?” Kron, August 13, 2013, https://work.chron.com/job-duties-publisher-24391.html. Accessed: November 26, 2024