Pete Hegseth is trying to defend himself against a series of misconduct allegations that threaten his nomination as Donald Trump’s defense secretary — with the help of his mother.

Penelope Hegseth appeared on Fox & friends on Wednesday to defend her son’s nomination and counter the damage caused by the public release of a 2018 email in which she called him a “wife abuser” and denounced his treatment of his second wife during their divorce .

Pete Hegseth was a Fox News host for years before Trump appointed him to head the Pentagon. His mother told Steve Doocy on Wednesday that her son is “not the man he was seven years ago.”

“Go back seven years. If we all went back seven years, we would realize that we might not be the people we are today,” she said. “You – Pete and his wife – have been through a difficult divorce, a very emotional time, and I’m sure many of you across the country understand how difficult divorce is for a family.” Penelope Hegseth claimed she had her Son wrote another email hours after she sent him the scathing rebuke and “retracted” her statements.

“Ignore the media. That was seven years ago, most of it is misinformation,” she said.

In the email that The New York Times As reported over the weekend, Penelope Hegseth criticized her son for his treatment of women. “I have no respect for a man who belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and exploits women for his own power and ego,” she wrote in the email. “You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother it pains me and embarrasses me to say it, but it is the sad, sad truth.”

Penelope Hegseth’s letter is just one data point in a web of misconduct allegations that could derail Hegseth’s bid for defense secretary. The former Fox host was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, fostering a climate of sexual harassment while leading a conservative veterans group, and having a drinking problem that worried even his former colleagues at Fox.

Despite he was angry at Hegseth for not disclosing his dirty laundry during the vetting process Rolling Stone Trump’s team is reportedly publicly trying to salvage his confirmation, even as Trump weighs other options.

According to a Tuesday report from The Wall Street Journal, The president-elect has quietly suggested Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a potential nominee for Defense Department should Hegseth’s prospects dim. Sources told the newspaper that Trump suggested DeSantis as a possible replacement for guests at Mar-a-Lago. Other media outlets confirmed that Trump has considered DeSantis and that the two have even discussed the prospect.

Earlier this year, Trump and DeSantis fought a heated battle for the Republican nomination, but Trump’s opinion of DeSantis appears to have softened in the months since the Republican primary. According to a Wednesday report from The bulwark, Part of DeSantis’ appeal may lie in the chain of nepotistic appointments he could carry out for Trump.

Trump has already selected Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio as his secretary of state. DeSantis is tasked with appointing someone to fill the vacant seat and is said to be considering Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump for the role. Offering DeSantis a Cabinet post could boost Lara Trump’s prospects.

“Who knows what will happen,” a DeSantis aide told The Bulwark. “This is Trump’s world. We all just live in it.”