PRINCETON, New Jersey, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Laura Petrillo recalls an intense 2002 encounter on Princeton University’s campus with Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for the Pentagon's top post.

Petrillo, part of Princeton's feminist group, the Organization of Women Leaders (OWL), was putting up posters for the group when Hegseth and his peers from the conservative Princeton Tory began removing them and replacing them with their own materials. This led to a confrontational verbal exchange, she says.

Such passionate disagreements between college students are not uncommon.

However, for Hegseth—then the publisher of The Princeton Tory and a vocal conservative figure on campus—this incident was just one example of his ideological clashes. In an extensive review by Reuters, interviews with over a dozen former students, faculty, and staff painted a detailed picture of Hegseth's years at Princeton between 1999 and 2003. His confrontations on campus presaged his modern opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the U.S. military.

A spokesperson for Hegseth declined to comment on this and other incidents described in this article, while Princeton University also refrained from commenting specifically about Hegseth's time there.

Hegseth’s stance on diversity in the military, particularly regarding the role of women, is expected to draw scrutiny in his upcoming Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing.

While his recent professional record has undergone media examination, his college years remain relatively unexplored.

During his tenure at The Tory, a 2002 issue featured a controversial cover with a cartoon owl—OWL's symbol—depicted in a gunsight. Inside, another image depicted the owl with bullet holes and blood dripping from its head. Petrillo, who was OWL’s publicity chair at the time, said, "That felt threatening."

The headline of the article read, “Killing Feminism: OWL sabotages the women’s movement.”

The Tory under Hegseth published pieces that criticized feminism and diversity. One article denounced homosexuality as "abnormal and immoral," while another controversially suggested that sexual intercourse with an unconscious woman might not constitute "a clear case of rape" due to the absence of duress. Hegseth himself wrote about what he saw as Princeton's “gratuitous glorification of diversity.”

Brittany Hume Charm, a fellow student, recalled an attempted dialogue with Hegseth, where OWL tried to address their differences. Hegseth arrived in his Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) uniform, which some interpreted as an intentional move to intimidate. She described him as dismissive of their concerns.

Other classmates described a different side of Hegseth. Two peers noted his ability to laugh at himself, pointing to a playful paintball duel against the college Democrats as proof he could ease tensions. Judson Wallace, a former Princeton basketball teammate, described Hegseth as “hardworking, caring,” and humorously referred to him as “the best player that never played,” acknowledging his role as a benchwarmer on the team.

Tessa Muir, a former Army captain who was in Princeton’s ROTC program with Hegseth, described him as “kind” but expressed concern over his current opposition to women in combat roles. She noted that his recent rhetoric about gender in the military felt at odds with her past impression of him. “I felt so duped that he was put in charge of co-ed cadets,” Muir said upon learning of his controversial views. Muir, who later served as an Army attorney, had posts across locations such as South Korea.

Thema Bryant, who worked in Princeton’s office for combating sexual assault from 2001 to 2004, criticized a Tory article that undermined a freshman orientation session on sexual assault. The orientation included a scenario about a student who was raped after drinking to unconsciousness. The Tory article argued a lack of “duress” in such cases made it a questionable example of rape. While Bryant said she hadn’t seen the piece at the time, she believes Hegseth owes survivors an apology for its insensitivity.

“If you’re tasked with leading defense, the question becomes: who will you defend? And can you be trusted?” she asked. Sexual assault continues to be a pervasive issue in the military.

When asked about sexual assault on Princeton's campus during Hegseth’s years, a university spokesperson highlighted Department of Education data, showing 28 incidents of forced sex offenses reported between 2001 and 2003.

Hegseth's conservative identity preceded his Princeton years. His father, Brian Hegseth, reflected on his son's principled upbringing, stating, “Instead of conforming, he thought critically and believed his values were worth defending.”

Hegseth’s outspoken conservatism made him a frequent target of jokes on campus. One joke resurfaced among alumni after his nomination for defense secretary. A 2002 issue of the Nassau Weekly humor magazine quoted a female student commenting on Hegseth’s demeanor: "He seems nice." The response from another quipped, “Yeah, but he probably wants to send you and your family back to India."

After graduating in 2003, Hegseth served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, receiving two Bronze Stars. He earned a Master’s degree from Harvard University in 2013.

Recently, Hegseth claims he has been a target of a smear campaign. Reports about his past controversies have resurfaced, including a 2021 incident where a fellow Army National Guard member branded him an “insider threat” due to his tattoos, leading to his removal from duties during President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Additionally, he has faced allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking, and financial mismanagement—issues he denies. His mother even retracted a critical email where she questioned his treatment of women during a divorce.

Comparing his current challenges as a Pentagon nominee to past personal and professional hurdles, Hegseth sees himself as an underdog. “I’m used to being underestimated,” he remarked on Sirius XM radio, likening the criticism he faces today to his time warming the Princeton basketball bench, where he was told he "wasn't good enough to play."