Pete Hegseth

American government official (born 1980)

Pete Hegseth

Official portrait, 2025

29th United States Secretary of Defense

Incumbent

Assumed office
January 25, 2025
President| Donald Trump
Deputy| Steve Feinberg
Preceded by| Lloyd Austin
Personal details
Born|

Peter Brian Hegseth

(1980-06-06) June 6, 1980 (age 45)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party| Republican
Spouses|

* Meredith Schwarz

(m. 2004; div. 2009)​

* Samantha Deering

(m. 2010; div. 2017)​

* Jennifer Rauchet

(m. 2019)​

Children| 4[1]
Education|

* Princeton University (B.A.)
* Harvard University (M.P.P.)

Signature|
Website| Official website
Military service
Branch/service|

* United States Army
* Army National Guard

Years of service|

* 2003–2006
* 2010–2014
* 2019–2021

Rank| Major
Unit|

* Minnesota Army National Guard
* District of Columbia Army National Guard

Battles/wars|

* Iraq War
* War in Afghanistan

Awards|

* Bronze Star (2)
* Joint Service Commendation Medal
* Army Commendation Medal (2)
* Combat Infantryman Badge

Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American author, former television presenter, and former Army National Guard officer who has served as the 29th United States secretary of defense since January 2025.

Hegseth studied politics at Princeton University, where he published for The Princeton Tory, a conservative student newspaper. In 2003, he was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard, for which he served at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Hegseth worked for several organizations after leaving Iraq, including as an executive director at Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. He became a contributor for Fox News in 2014. Hegseth served as an advisor to President Donald Trump after initially supporting his campaign in 2016. From 2017 to 2024, he was a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend. He has written several books, including American Crusade (2020) and The War on Warriors (2024).

In November 2024, President-elect Trump named Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense. A Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing for Hegseth was held days before Trump's second inauguration. He faced allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement, and alcohol issues leading up to his committee confirmation. Hegseth was confirmed by the Senate that month, with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote, the second time in U.S. history that a Cabinet nominee's confirmation was decided by a vice president after Betsy DeVos in 2017, during the first Trump administration. He is the second-youngest person to serve as secretary of defense, after Donald Rumsfeld, and the first Minnesotan to serve in the position.

## Early life and education

[edit]

Princeton University, where Hegseth studied (pictured in 2019)

Peter Brian Hegseth was born on June 6, 1980, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[2] Hegseth is of Norwegian descent.[3] He was the first child of Brian and Penelope[4] "Penny" Hegseth.[5][a] Brian was a basketball coach for high schools across Minnesota before retiring in 2019,[5] while Penny is an executive business coach[7] who has taught with the Minnesota Excellence in Public Service (MEPS) Series, a fellowship and leadership program for Republican and center-right women.[4] Hegseth was raised in Forest Lake, Minnesota,[8] and attended Forest Lake Area High School.[9] He graduated in 1999 as valedictorian and was later inducted into the hall of fame. He played for the school's football team and was a point guard on the basketball team, earning school records in career and single-season three-point shots and single-season three-point shooting percentage. Hegseth was twice named all-conference and earned all-state honors as a senior.[10]

In 1999, Hegseth enrolled at Princeton University,[11] where he majored in politics. According to Reserve & National Guard Magazine, he chose Princeton over an offer from the United States Military Academy for Princeton's men's basketball program, the Tigers.[12] Months before the September 11 attacks, Hegseth joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.[13] He played for the Tigers,[10] and was the publisher and later editor-in-chief of The Princeton Tory, a conservative newspaper.[14] In April 2002, he declared that as publisher, he would "defend the pillars of Western civilization against the distractions of diversity". The editors of The Princeton Tory criticized Halle Berry for accepting the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Monster's Ball (2001) "on behalf of an entire race", and The New York Times for announcing that it would print gay marriage announcements, arguing that it would justify publishing marriage announcements for incestuous, zoophilic, and pedophilic relationships.[15] In October, the Tory published an editorial characterizing homosexuality as immoral. In response, the president of Princeton's student government, Nina Langsam, wrote a strongly worded email to The Princeton Tory's publisher, Brad Simmons, and Hegseth. Her email was published in the following issue.[16] In May 2025, The Daily Princetonian accused Hegseth of having plagiarized portions of his senior thesis.[17]

## Career

[edit]

### Military service (2003–2006, 2010–2014, 2019–2021)

[edit]

Hegseth meeting with Mahmood Kalaf Ahmed, the mayor of Samarra, in 2005 Second Lieutenant Hegseth at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in the early 2000s

After graduating from Princeton in June 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army through the university's Reserve Officers' Training Corps program.[8][18] He briefly worked as an equity-markets analyst at Bear Stearns.[14] Hegseth completed his basic training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, in 2004,[12] and for eleven months, he was a Minnesota Army National Guardsman at Guantanamo Bay detention camp.[18] There, he led a platoon of soldiers from the New Jersey Army National Guard[13] guarding detainees.[14] By July 2005, he had returned to Bear Stearns;[18] shortly thereafter, he volunteered in the Iraq War as an infantry officer,[12] where he received a Bronze Star Medal.[14] Hegseth served in the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment[13] in the 101st Airborne Division, led by Colonel Michael D. Steele.[19] He began his tour in Baghdad before moving to Samarra,[8] where he served as a civil affairs officer,[20] working with the city council and forming an alliance with councilmember Asaad Ali Yaseen.[8] Hegseth has described a near-death experience in Iraq in which a rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle, but failed to detonate.[21]

In 2011, Hegseth was commissioned into the Minnesota Army National Guard as a captain.[8] He volunteered to teach at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul, Afghanistan, for eight months,[8] during the withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan;[19] he taught one of the final classes at the school.[13] After completing his tour in 2014, he was promoted to major[14] and enlisted in the Individual Ready Reserve.[12] Through the reserve, he joined the District of Columbia Army National Guard in June 2019 as a traditional drilling service member, remaining in duty until March 2021.[22] He was barred from serving on duty at the inauguration of Joe Biden after a guardsman flagged Hegseth as an "insider threat", noting a tattoo on his biceps of the words Deus vult.[23] He left the Individual Ready Reserve in January 2024, stating in his book The War on Warriors (2024) that he resigned over the incident.[24]

### Political activism (2006–2016)

[edit]

By August 2006,[13] Hegseth moved to Manhattan and began working at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research,[8] where he met a marine who was working for Vets for Freedom, a political advocacy organization.[14] He began working for Vets for Freedom in 2006 as an unpaid director;[25] by 2007, he was working full-time as an executive director,[26] and by the following year, he became the organization's president.[25] In May 2007, Hegseth appeared at a presidential campaign fundraiser for Arizona senator John McCain.[27] In the months leading up to the 2008 United States presidential election, Vets for Freedom began supporting McCain.[28] As the group's chairman, he criticized Illinois senator Barack Obama for supporting "a dangerous policy of irreversible withdrawal."[29] By January 2009, Vets for Freedom had accrued hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills, leading to an internal campaign to oust Hegseth. The group merged with Military Families United, and he was removed from leadership by 2011.[14]

Hegseth speaking at the Defend Freedom Tour in 2013

After returning to Minnesota in February 2012,[8] Hegseth had decided to enter the Republican primary for the United States Senate election in Minnesota and had selected a campaign manager, Anne Neu Brindley.[30] By April, his campaign had raised US$160,000.[31] Hegseth was defeated by Kurt Bills in the Republican convention in May,[32] and he withdrew his nomination days later.[33] He founded MN PAC to support similar candidates, though a third of the organization's funds were given to his friends and family.[14] Hegseth began working for Concerned Veterans of America, a group funded by the Koch brothers,[34] that year.[35] The group criticized Obama for the 2014 Veterans Health Administration controversy.[36] Hegseth enrolled in the Harvard Kennedy School in 2009, but completed just one semester;[8] he graduated four years later with a degree in public policy.[10] In 2022,[37] to protest the offering of classes in critical race theory at Harvard University, he wrote "Return to sender" on his degree[38] and reportedly sent it back to the university.[39]

Hegseth left Concerned Veterans for America in January 2016[40] after issues regarding his mismanagement and alcoholism.[14] In December, President-elect Donald Trump considered Hegseth for secretary of veterans affairs, but he faced opposition from veterans groups who viewed Hegseth's support for allowing all veterans to choose private doctors as untenable; Paul Rieckhoff, the executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said that selecting Hegseth would "be war" and "a radical departure" for the department.[40] Trump later chose David Shulkin, with The Washington Post noting Hegseth's lack of experience in operating a large organization.[41] Hegseth told podcaster Shawn Ryan that Trump found him too young to assume the position.[42] After Shulkin fell out of favor with the Trump administration in March 2018, Hegseth positioned himself as a potential candidate,[43] though Trump later selected Robert Wilkie after consulting Hegseth and financier Isaac Perlmutter.[44]

### Fox News (2014–2024)

[edit]

Hegseth interviewing secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Fox & Friends in March 2020

By June 2014, Hegseth had become a regular contributor to Fox News[45] by the network's executive, Roger Ailes.[46] In 2016, he was briefly a host on TheBlaze[47] before regularly hosting Fox & Friends Weekend that year after Ailes's resignation, becoming an official co-host in January 2017.[46] According to a Fox News executive in Hoax (2020), Jennifer Rauchet, a producer of Fox & Friends Weekend who would later marry him, "was favoring Pete with airtime" and "kept putting Pete on TV."[48] Hegseth served as a temporary host for Laura Ingraham on The Ingraham Angle (2017–present) in an effort by the network to promote other staffers; the change occurred during the boycott of The Ingraham Angle following comments Ingraham had made about David Hogg, an activist and survivor of the Parkland high school shooting.[49] He hosted All-American New Year (2018) with commentator Lisa Kennedy.[50]

Hegseth's opinions expressed on Fox & Friends influenced Trump's policymaking in his first term. In October 2018, as a migrant caravan began traveling to the United States, Trump claimed that "unknown Middle Easterners" had infiltrated the caravan. Trump apparently cited a comment that Hegseth had made on Fox & Friends, though Hegseth noted that he had not verified his statement for accuracy.[51] Hegseth himself apparently had based his claim on a statement Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales had made on capturing one hundred ISIS fighters in the country.[52] In negotiations to avert a federal government shutdown, Democrats neared a deal until Hegseth urged Trump not to support a deal that did not include US$5 billion for his border wall.[53] Trump repeated claims that Hegseth had made correlating video games with mass shootings after two mass shootings in El Paso and in Dayton in August 2019.[54] Hegseth claimed that he had spoken to Trump on pardoning war criminals Clint Lorance and Mathew L. Golsteyn, as well as reversing the demotion of Eddie Gallagher.[55]

At Fox News, Hegseth was the subject of multiple lawsuits. In June 2015, he threw an axe during a Flag Day event in New York City, accidentally hitting a drummer from the United States Military Academy. Video of the incident was widely circulated online. The drummer, Jeff Prosperie, alleged that he had suffered "severe and serious personal injuries to his mind and body" and "permanent effects of pain, disability, disfigurement and loss of body function." Prosperie filed a lawsuit against Hegseth three years later;[56] the suit was resolved in an unspecified way in 2019.[57] In Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network (2023), Dominion Voting Systems included a segment of Fox & Friends Weekend featuring Hegseth with co-hosts Will Cain and Rachel Campos-Duffy, in which they did not reject claims by Rudy Giuliani of election fraud being facilitated by the company's voting machines.[58]

Hegseth was chosen among Fox News's hosts to be featured on Fox Nation, the network's streaming service.[59] To promote the service, he co-hosted a one-hour special, Fox Nation First Look, with Jesse Watters, Tomi Lahren, Britt McHenry, and Tyrus.[60] On Fox Nation, Hegseth hosted The Miseducation of America (2022–2023), a television program criticizing "the Left's educational agenda".[61] He also hosted the series Battle in the Holy Land (2019–2023)[62] and The Life of Jesus (2022–2023), and the special Battle in Bethlehem (2019), on the service.[18]

## Secretary of Defense (2025–present)

[edit]

### Nomination and confirmation

[edit]

See also: Pete Hegseth § Abuse and assault allegations

Hegseth's Senate confirmation hearing to become Secretary of Defense

On November 12, 2024, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump named Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense,[63] after Arkansas senator Tom Cotton announced he would not serve as secretary.[64] He subsequently ended his contract with Fox News.[37] The selection of Hegseth was seen as a sign that Trump sought to appoint a loyalist to lead the Department of Defense,[b] and his relative lack of experience surprised officials within the department.[c] According to Vanity Fair, Trump's transition team became aware the following day of a sexual assault allegation involving Hegseth that occurred in Monterey, California, seven years prior;[71] The Washington Post reported that senior officials on the team were surprised by the allegation and reconsidered his nomination.[72] Despite the allegation, Trump defended Hegseth[73] and several Republican senators indicated that they would support him.[74] His nomination was threatened by an article from Jane Mayer in The New Yorker detailing alleged financial mismanagement and alcohol issues while leading his veterans' groups,[14] while an NBC News article reported that his drinking habits concerned his colleagues at Fox News;[75] The New York Times reported in December that Trump had begun to consider Florida governor Ron DeSantis as an alternative.[76]

In an effort to retain his nomination amid controversies, Hegseth began a campaign that month. Advisors to Trump privately sought to persuade him to support Hegseth in fear that it would embolden recalcitrant Republican senators, while he could not garner support for DeSantis, according to The New York Times. In addition, the Times reported that Vice President-elect JD Vance had led a group of Republicans, including Donald Trump Jr., former Trump aide Steve Bannon, political activist Charlie Kirk, and Breitbart News reporter Matt Boyle.[77] Trump allies took a direct approach to addressing the controversies, including an interview with Megyn Kelly that impressed Trump.[78] Hegseth appeared at the United States Capitol;[79] Trump publicly reaffirmed his support for Hegseth afterwards.[80] The visit gave Iowa senator Joni Ernst, who had threatened his nomination, a positive impression of Hegseth.[81]

Hegseth appeared before the Senate Committee on Armed Services on January 14. He positioned himself as a "warrior" while denying the allegations and his previous claims that women should not serve in combat roles. Hegseth was criticized by Democrats over his allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement, and alcohol issues.[82] Rhode Island senator Jack Reed, the committee's ranking member, noted that Hegseth had used the term "jagoff" in his book The War on Warriors (2024) to derogatorily refer to a Judge Advocate General officer who reprimanded him on the use of rocket-propelled grenades.[83] He did not answer a question from Virginia senator Tim Kaine on whether or not sexual assault, drinking, or infidelity were disqualifying.[84] The Committee on Armed Services voted to advance his nomination 14–13 along party lines on January 20, after Trump was inaugurated.[85] Hegseth's former sister-in-law, Danielle, sent an affidavit to senators alleging that he was abusive to his second wife, Samantha, and that he had an alcohol issue.[86] Hegseth denied having a drinking problem and pledged not to drink if confirmed.[87]

Hegseth being sworn in by Vice President JD Vance

On January 24, Hegseth was confirmed by the Senate in a 51–50 vote. Every Republican senator, with the exception of Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitch McConnell, voted to confirm him, while every Democrat senator opposed his nomination, leading to a 50–50 vote. Vance cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm Hegseth.[88] His confirmation was threatened by Senator Thom Tillis, who told Senate majority leader John Thune the day before that he would not vote for Hegseth on the basis of his sexual assault allegations. Persuaded by Vance,[89] Tillis expressed support for Hegseth on X minutes before the vote.[90] His confirmation was the second in U.S. history to be decided by a vice president, after Betsy DeVos's confirmation for secretary of education in 2017.[91]

Hegseth was sworn in as secretary of defense on January 25 by Vice President JD Vance.[92] Hegseth identified several priorities for the Department of Defense, including to "revive the warrior ethos", restore trust in the military, redevelop the nation's industrial base, ease the department's process to purchase weaponry, defend the U.S. domestically, engage with Indo-Pacific to deter China, and support Trump's effort to "end wars responsibly"—including the Russo-Ukrainian War and the Middle Eastern crisis.[93]

### Initial actions

[edit]

Trump and Hegseth deliver comments in the Oval Office in March 2025

In a call to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day after being sworn in, Hegseth said that the United States was "fully committed" to the security of Israel.[94] Hegseth revoked the security clearance and detail of Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and chief of staff of the Army who later became a critic of Trump, and ordered an inspector general inquiry into Milley's tenure as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the inspector general of the Department of Defense, Robert Storch, was removed from his position when Trump dismissed several inspectors general.[95] According to The Washington Post, the Department of Defense Education Activity began removing certain books on immigration and sexuality.[96]

Hegseth visited the Mexico–United States border with Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, in El Paso, Texas, in February, where he stated that the federal government intended to gain complete "operational control of the southern border".[97] He renamed Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg, its original name honoring the Confederate general Braxton Bragg. The military base was now renamed for Roland L. Bragg, a soldier who served in World War II.[98] In a meeting before the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters, he opposed NATO membership for Ukraine and said that returning Ukraine's borders prior to the annexation of Crimea by Russia was "unrealistic".[99] The Department of Defense invited Jack Posobiec, an alt-right political activist to accompany Hegseth, according to The Washington Post.[100] Hegseth moderated his comments the following day, stating that it would be possible for Ukraine to join NATO given Trump's discretion.[101]

In February 2025, Hegseth ordered officials within the Department of Defense to reduce funding on most initiatives[102] and began a purge from within the department,[103] firing three top judge advocate generals and Lisa Franchetti, the chief of naval operations.[104][105] Hegseth stated that "we want lawyers who give sound constitutional advice" rather than "roadblocks to anything".[106] In March, he ordered U.S. Cyber Command to halt offensive operations against Russia, in an apparent effort to encourage Russian president Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the Russo-Ukrainian War.[107] Also that month, the Defense Department cancelled 91 of its research studies, including those on climate change impacts and social trends, while Hegseth later stated that the Defense Department "does not do climate change crap."[108] Separately, the Trump administration instructed Hegseth to "immediately" present "credible military options to ensure fair and unfettered US military and commercial access to the Panama Canal".[109]

In April 2025, Hegseth issued a directive to the secretary of the Army ordering on a sweeping overhaul, prioritizing defending the homeland and deterring China in the Indo-Pacific. Among others, the directive instructing a consolidated budget lines in unmanned systems, counter-drone systems and electronic warfare, force structure changes and expanded use of other transaction agreements. The directive also instructed to downsize or close redundant headquarters as well as merging Army Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command, and merging four-star headquarters Army Forces Command with Army North and Army South into a single headquarters focused on homeland defense[110] as well as the elimination of at least 20% of four-star general positions to enhance efficiency and operational effectiveness.[111] Hegseth also signed a memorandum to reduce the Department of Defense's civilian workforce, aiming to eliminate duplicative efforts and excessive bureaucracy. The initiative includes offering voluntary early retirement and deferred resignation programs to incentivize top performers and enhance efficiency.[112]

### Information disclosures and use of Signal

[edit]

Further information: United States government group chat leak

Screenshots from the leaked Signal chat showing Pete Hegseth discussing plans for the March–April 2025 United States attacks in Yemen

In March 2025, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, reported that he had been accidentally included by Mike Waltz in a Signal group chat where Hegseth shared information about attacks in Yemen hours before they occurred.[113] The discussions involved U.S. officials, including Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio. According to The New York Times, several officials with the Department of Defense expressed shock at the incident, while various former national security officials noted the potential for espionage amid ongoing efforts by China to obtain telecommunications records. A spokesperson for the National Security Council confirmed Goldberg's report and the authenticity of the messages. Hegseth rejected that war plans were shared and called Goldberg "deceitful" and a "discredited so-called journalist".[114][115] Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said no classified information was shared and CIA director John Ratcliffe said Signal was authorized for the group chat.[116]

The incident distressed Hegseth, who threatened to use a polygraph on Christopher W. Grady, the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[117] Goldberg later published most of the Signal chat.[118] The chat showed that Hegseth posted information including the launch times of F-18 aircraft, MQ-9 drones and Tomahawk missiles, as well as the time when the F-18 aircraft would reach their targets, and the time when the bombs would land.[119][120] Hegseth commented on the chat, writing that there were: "No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information".[121] The incident led to criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.[122] After the Signal leak, media outlet Der Spiegel searched the Internet using a commercial information provider and password leaks, which revealed Hegseth's personal mobile number, personal email address and its password, and WhatsApp account.[123]

Pete and Jennifer Hegseth meeting British Defense Secretary John Healey in the Pentagon in March 2025[124]

The Wall Street Journal reported that Hegseth had brought his wife to two meetings with foreign defense officials in which sensitive information was discussed, one meeting in February, at Brussels, with NATO officials, and the other in March, at the Pentagon, with British Defense Secretary John Healey.[124] Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported in March that Hegseth's brother, Phil, was listed by the Trump administration as a senior adviser to Hegseth, accompanying Hegseth to meetings, including in Congress, and on official foreign trips.[6] Phil, who previously worked in podcasting and media relations, was confirmed by Hegseth's office to be working in the Pentagon as a Department of Homeland Security liaison to the Department of Defense.[6] That month, The Washington Post detailed a memorandum written by Hegseth orienting the department towards deterring a potential invasion of Taiwan and supporting homeland defense by "assuming risk" in Europe. The document contained passages that were identical to those present in Project 2025.[125]

In April, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General announced an inquiry into Hegseth's disclosure of classified information in the Signal chat.[126] That month, The New York Times reported that Hegseth had shared details on the attack in a second Signal chat with his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.[127] At the White House Easter Egg Roll, Hegseth suggested that the revelations were a coordinated smear campaign.[128] John Ullyot, the former spokesman for the Department of Defense, wrote in a Politico Magazine opinion piece hours later that the department was in a "full-blown meltdown" and warned that Hegseth was at risk of losing his position.[129]

According to NPR, the White House began looking for a secretary of defense to replace Hegseth the following day.[130] Nonetheless, he retained support from Trump,[131] who privately did not seek to relitigate a grueling Senate confirmation, enjoyed Hegseth's presence and appearance on television, and believed that firing him would lead to questions over Waltz's retention, while he publicly associated the controversy to "disgruntled employees" and boasted of Hegseth's work.[132][133] Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, stated that "the entire Pentagon is working against" Hegseth.[134] Representative Don Bacon became the first Republican House member to urge that Hegseth be fired.[135]

According to The Washington Post, Hegseth had Signal installed on his computer to circumvent cellular communication issues and to communicate with other Trump officials easier.[136] CNN later reported that Ricky Buria, a former aide to secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, had set up Signal on Hegseth's computer.[137] According to the Associated Press, the computer was on an unsecured internet line that was not using one of the Department of Defense's IP addresses.[138]

At least five political appointees within the Department of Defense resigned by April 24.[117] That day, Joe Kesper, Hegseth's chief of staff, resigned, but stated that he would remain at the department as a special government employee.[139] The firings and resignations led to a crisis within the Department of Defense that was described as a "free-for-all" by one employee who spoke to Politico.[140] Hegseth received criticism from Senate Democrats over alleged civilian deaths in the Yemen strikes.[141] In the same month, Sean Parnell, Justin Fulcher, Patrick Weaver, and Ricky Buria were announced as new senior advisers.[142]

## Political positions

[edit]

Main article: Political positions of Pete Hegseth

### Domestic issues

[edit]

Hegseth holds strongly conservative views and is regarded as a Christian nationalist.[d] In his book American Crusade (2020), Hegseth characterized "Americanism" as being opposition to movements such as feminism, globalism, Marxism, and progressivism, equated democracy to a leftist demand, and expressed support for election-rigging through gerrymandering to "screw Democrats".[143] He described progressives and Democrats as enemies of freedom, as well as the United States and the Constitution. Hegseth has said that victory for America includes the end of globalism, socialism, secularism, environmentalism, Islamism, genderism, and leftism.[146] He has repeated false claims of electoral fraud in the 2020 presidential election and spread conspiracy theories about Antifa involvement in the January 6 attack.[147]

Hegseth initially supported Florida senator Marco Rubio in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, but later began to favor Texas senator Ted Cruz and finally Donald Trump.[148] He defended Trump's policies in his first term, including his interactions with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, the 2020–2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the assassination of Qasem Soleimani.[19] While on Fox News in 2016, Hegseth was highly critical of Hillary Clinton due to her email controversy, where he indicated that "recklessness in handling information" would normally lead to job firings and criminal prosecution, while risking foreign governments gaining access to the information and damage to relationships with allied countries.[e]

In an interview with the National Review in March 2012, Hegseth advocated for premium support in Medicare and removing fee-for-service. He opposed a contraception mandate and described the Keystone Pipeline as a dichotomy between "jobs and an environmental-impact study", and that he was "always going to side with jobs."[8] On Fox & Friends in 2019, Hegseth described climate change as an attempt at government control.[154] In March 2025, he canceled climate change studies and decried the phenomenon as "crap" on social media.[155] That month, he sought to eliminate climate planning from the Department of Defense but included an exception for extreme weather preparation.[156]

### Foreign policy

[edit]

Hegseth meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in February 2025

In November 2009, Hegseth supported sending additional forces into Afghanistan during the War in Afghanistan.[157] He advocated for withdrawing from Afghanistan in his interview with the National Review, but argued that special operators should remain in the country and that the Afghan Army should be supported to avert a conflict.[8]

Hegseth has criticized NATO and the United Nations.[158][159] After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he called Putin a war criminal;[160] he later told Fox News host Harris Faulkner that the invasion was less significant than "wokeness" and crime.[161] He has criticized United States military aid to Ukraine.[158] In January 2020, he supported Donald Trump's threat for the destruction of Iranian cultural sites.[162]

Hegseth has supported the premiership of Benjamin Netanyahu. After Netanyahu was expected to be criminally charged in March 2019 for alleged bribery and fraud, he posted a video of Hegseth describing him as a "great friend to the United States".[163] He has argued that the Chinese government is "building a military to defeat the United States" and repeated claims by Trump that "tens of thousands of Chinese nationals" have been sent to the Mexico–United States border.[164] In May 2020, Hegseth said the "communist Chinese" want to "end our civilization".[165]

### Military affairs

[edit]

In a Yale Political Union speech in October 2008, Hegseth disagreed with "Don't ask, don't tell", the United States's position on homosexuality in the military, but noted that "Radical Islam is a far greater threat."[166] In a podcast interview with Shawn Ryan in November 2024, Hegseth stated that women should not serve in combat roles.[167]

Hegseth opposed Operation Iron Triangle, a raid in August 2006 that resulted in the death of three Iraqi men, as "atrocities" to an audience at the University of Virginia. He has criticized the U.S. military for accusing soldiers of committing war crimes.[13]

## Personal life

[edit]

### Marriages

[edit]

In 2004, Hegseth married Meredith Schwarz, a graduate of Forest Lake Area High School, at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Minnesota; they were voted "most likely to marry" by their graduating class. Meredith filed for divorce in December 2008 after Hegseth admitted to five affairs; he had been dating Samantha Deering, whom he had met at Vets for Freedom. Hegseth married Deering, with whom he has three children, in 2010; they filed for divorce in 2017.[1][7] In 2019, Hegseth married Jennifer Rauchet, a producer on Fox & Friends, at Trump National Golf Club Colts Neck in New Jersey, in an event attended by the Trump family.[168]

### Abuse and sexual assault allegations

[edit]

> You are an abuser of women — that is the ugly truth and I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years)

Hegseth's mother in email to her son in April 2018,[169][170] later said to have prompted her immediate apology[7]

In November 2024, Vanity Fair reported that Hegseth had allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California, in October 2017, when he was scheduled to speak at the California Federation of Republican Women convention. According to the Monterey Police Department, Hegseth was investigated in connection with two incidents of sexual assault that occurred shortly before midnight and 7 a.m. the following morning. He was not criminally charged.[171] The Washington Post reported that Hegseth had paid the accuser as part of a non-disclosure agreement after she threatened litigative action in 2020. In addition, the paper obtained a memorandum provided to Donald Trump's presidential transition team by an associate of the accuser, a 30-year-old conservative group staffer, that alleged that Hegseth raped her.[172] Hegseth's lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, later confirmed the reports, but said that the staffer was attempting to extort Hegseth, a purported "victim of blackmail and innocent collateral damage",[172] during the #MeToo movement, risking his career.[173] The Associated Press reported in January 2025 that Hegseth had paid her US$50,000.[174]

Records released by the Monterey Police Department later that month provided additional details on the incident. The accuser told police that she had confronted Hegseth, who informed her that he was a "nice guy", after he had acted "inappropriately" with women at the event. She recalled being in an undisclosed room with Hegseth, who allegedly took her phone and blocked the door,[175] where he then allegedly raped her.[176] The accuser said that "things got fuzzy" and told a nurse days later that she had believed she had been drugged. Hegseth told police that he had sought to ensure she was comfortable. Video surveillance footage showed Hegseth and the accuser walking, with her smiling. Two women who were interviewed by police stated that Hegseth had put his hand on their thighs and asked them to go to his hotel room, with one woman saying that she had asked the accuser to get him off of her.[175] According to CNN, the accuser went to a hospital to report a sexual assault and obtained a rape kit test in the emergency room.[177] The rape kit exam served as the impetus for the Monterey Police Department's investigation. Hegseth told police that he did have sex with the woman but that it was consensual.[178] Monterey County district attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni declined to file charges in January 2018, saying that proof beyond a reasonable doubt was not established.[174]

In November 2024, The New York Times obtained an email from Hegseth's mother, Penny, from April 2018, accusing her son of having mistreated women for years. After the Times's reporting, Penny told the paper that she had "immediately apologized in a separate email" and that her words were written "in anger, with emotion".[7] She defended her son on Fox News, saying he was "redeemed, forgiven, changed."[179] In January 2025, NBC News reported that Samantha's sister Danielle had sent an affidavit to senators alleging that he had made his wife concerned for her safety, with Samantha said to have once hid in a closet and to have formed an escape plan that was once used. Hegseth's lawyer Parlatore dismissed the allegations.[86]

### Religion

[edit]

In In the Arena (2016), Hegseth described his Christian faith as initially "more out of diligent habit than deep conviction". Following the September 11 attacks, he developed a hatred for Islamic terrorism, and "he found himself repelled by the campus chapel's 'gospel of moral relativism,' and disparaged his fellow students for focusing on peace and 'mutual understanding' rather than 'condemnations of Islamic terrorism'".[18] He told Nashville Christian Family that he experienced a religious transformation in 2018 after he and his wife, Jennifer, began attending the Colts Neck Community Church in New Jersey. Seeking to send their children to Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy, a Christian school, the Hegseths moved to Nashville, Tennessee, three years later. There, they joined the Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship, a church in the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches.[180]

### Tattoos

[edit]

Hegseth has several tattoos, including one across his right biceps reading Deus vult, a Christian phrase associated with divine providence and God's will,[181] as well as a tattoo of the Jerusalem cross on his right breast; the combination of Deus Vult and the cross has been associated with “right-wing extremist groups”.[f] Hegseth also has a tattoo near the Deus vult tattoo reading kafir (transl. unbeliever) in Arabic, garnering criticism from some Muslims, who accused him of Islamophobia.[184] In addition, he has a tattoo of the political cartoon Join, or Die, a cross and sword with Hebrew lettering reading Yeshua, and the words We the People on his right forearm, as well as the coat of arms of the 187th Infantry Regiment on his back, including its motto Ne Desit Virtus or "Let Valor Not Fail".[185]

## Awards and decorations

[edit]

Hegseth's awards and decorations include:[186][187]

|  |

|  |
|  |
Combat Infantryman Badge

Bronze Star Medal
with bronze oak leaf cluster | Joint Service Commendation Medal | Army Commendation Medal
with bronze oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal | Afghanistan Campaign Medal
with two bronze service stars | Iraq Campaign Medal
with two bronze service stars
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Army Service Ribbon | Overseas Service Ribbon | NATO Medal

In addition, Hegseth was awarded the Expert Infantryman Badge, though it cannot be worn with the Combat Infantryman Badge.[187]

## Written works

[edit]

Hegseth published his memoir, In the Arena, in 2016.[18] In May 2020, he released American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free.[180] In October, Fox News Media reached a three-book agreement with HarperCollins to publish books by Fox News hosts, beginning with Hegseth's Modern Warriors: Real Stories from Real Heroes in November.[188] He co-authored Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation with David Goodwin, the president of the Association of Classical Christian Schools, in 2022.[189] In June 2024, Hegseth published The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.[190] American Crusade, Modern Warriors, Battle for the American Mind, and The War on Warriors have reached The New York Times Best Seller list.[10] He wrote the foreword to The Case against the Establishment (2017), a book written by Nick Adams and Dave Erickson.[191]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Brian and Penny had two children after Hegseth: Nate (born 1982/1983) and Philip[6] (born 1992/1993).[5]
2. ^ Attributed to multiple references: [65][66][67][68]
3. ^ Attributed to multiple references: [69][70]
4. ^ Attributed to multiple references: [143][144][145]
5. ^ Attributed to multiple references: [149][150][151][152][153]
6. ^ Attributed to multiple references: [182][183]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Sherman 2024b.
2. ^ Peter Brian Hegseth in the Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1935–2004.
3. ^ Miyake 2025.
4. ^ a b Crowley 2024.
5. ^ a b c Strand 2019.
6. ^ a b c Copp 2025b.
7. ^ a b c d LaFraniere & Tate 2024.
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bolduc 2012.
9. ^ McKinney & Kashiwagi 2024.
10. ^ a b c d Sweeney 2024.
11. ^ Chang 2025a.
12. ^ a b c d Manfre 2022.
13. ^ a b c d e f Philipps & Rosenberg 2024.
14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mayer 2024.
15. ^ Catanese 2012a.
16. ^ Cooper 2002.
17. ^ Chang 2025b.
18. ^ a b c d e f Craven 2024.
19. ^ a b c Steinhauer 2020.
20. ^ "Combat vets attempt to sway Iraq debate". NBC News.
21. ^ Kranish et al. 2024.
22. ^ Watson, Walsh & Sganga 2024.
23. ^ Copp, Smith & Dearen 2024.
24. ^ Hegseth 2024, p. 60.
25. ^ a b LaFraniere et al. 2024.
26. ^ LaPorta, Ingram & Kaufman 2024.
27. ^ Cooper 2007.
28. ^ Luo 2008.
29. ^ Falcone 2008.
30. ^ Catanese 2012b.
31. ^ Mitchell 2012.
32. ^ Brooks, Helgeson & Stassen-Berger 2012.
33. ^ Stassen-Berger 2012.
34. ^ Allen & Vogel 2014.
35. ^ LaPorta & Tarrant 2024.
36. ^ Talev 2015.
37. ^ a b Hill 2024.
38. ^ Fisher 2024.
39. ^ Anderson 2024.
40. ^ a b Philipps 2016.
41. ^ Rein 2017.
42. ^ Ryan et al. 2024.
43. ^ Rein 2018.
44. ^ Swan & Treene 2018.
45. ^ de Moraes 2014.
46. ^ a b Samuels & Mastrangelo 2024.
47. ^ Stelter 2024.
48. ^ Stelter 2022, p. 98.
49. ^ Steinberg 2018a.
50. ^ Yang 2018.
51. ^ Baker & Glasser 2022, p. 344.
52. ^ Poniewozik 2018.
53. ^ Mahler & Rutenberg 2019.
54. ^ Grynbaum, Tracy & Hsu 2019.
55. ^ Philipps 2019.
56. ^ Arkin 2018.
57. ^ Kinnard 2024.
58. ^ Levenson & Cohen 2023.
59. ^ Steinberg 2018b.
60. ^ Steinberg 2018c.
61. ^ Simonetti 2024.
62. ^ Kershner 2025.
63. ^ Ryan 2024.
64. ^ Ward & Salama 2024.
65. ^ Al-Rikabi 2024.
66. ^ Ward 2024.
67. ^ Zhou 2024.
68. ^ Swan & Haberman 2024a.
69. ^ Gould et al. 2024.
70. ^ Detsch 2024.
71. ^ Sherman 2024a.
72. ^ Kranish et al. 2024.
73. ^ Haberman 2024b.
74. ^ Bender 2024.
75. ^ Melas, Kube & Fitzpatrick 2024.
76. ^ Haberman, Swan & Shear 2024.
77. ^ Swan & Haberman 2024b.
78. ^ Bade & Burns 2025.
79. ^ Demirjian 2024.
80. ^ LeVine, McDaniel & Edwards 2024.
81. ^ Kane, Goodwin & Alfaro 2024.
82. ^ Cooper et al. 2025.
83. ^ Kelly 2025.
84. ^ Demirjian 2025a.
85. ^ Hauslohner 2025.
86. ^ a b Tsirkin, Fitzpatrick & Kube 2025.
87. ^ Wong, Thorp & Shabad 2024.
88. ^ Hauslohner, Goodwin & Kornfield 2025.
89. ^ Bade 2025a.
90. ^ Wise, Gillum & McGraw 2025.
91. ^ Karni & Cameron 2025.
92. ^ Pecorin 2025.
93. ^ Schmitt 2025a.
94. ^ Schmitt 2025b.
95. ^ Lamothe, Ryan & Horton 2025.
96. ^ Lamothe 2025a.
97. ^ Mata III & Schmitt 2025.
98. ^ Ismay 2025a.
99. ^ Bertrand, Sebastian & Britzky 2025.
100. ^ Lamothe 2025b.
101. ^ Lamothe & DeYoung 2025.
102. ^ Cooper & Schmitt 2025a.
103. ^ Ryan & Lamothe 2025.
104. ^ Ismay 2025b.
105. ^ Jaffe 2025.
106. ^ Fortinsky 2025.
107. ^ Barnes, Sanger & Cooper 2025.
108. ^ Weise & Pulver 2025.
109. ^ Cohen & Liebermann 2025.
110. ^ Pomerleau 2025.
111. ^ Cooper 2025.
112. ^ Obis 2025.
113. ^ Goldberg 2025.
114. ^ Cooper & Schmitt 2025b.
115. ^ Lamothe & Ryan 2025.
116. ^ Beitsch 2025.
117. ^ a b Youssef, Ward & Bergengruen 2025.
118. ^ Debusmann 2025.
119. ^ Abels & Sherman 2025.
120. ^ Robertson, Losey & Shane 2025.
121. ^ Fields 2025.
122. ^ Gordon, Youssef & Wise 2025.
123. ^ Beuth et al. 2025.
124. ^ a b Long et al. 2025.
125. ^ Horton & Natanson 2025.
126. ^ Horton & Lamothe 2025.
127. ^ Jaffe, Schmitt & Haberman 2025.
128. ^ Lamothe 2025c.
129. ^ McLeary 2025.
130. ^ Bowman 2025.
131. ^ Lamothe 2025d.
132. ^ McGraw & Ward 2025.
133. ^ Weaver 2025.
134. ^ Gould, O'Brien & Friedman 2025.
135. ^ Bade 2025b.
136. ^ Lamothe 2025e.
137. ^ Bertrand, Britzky & Tapper 2025.
138. ^ Copp 2025c.
139. ^ Lippman & Detsch 2025.
140. ^ McLeary & Detsch 2025.
141. ^ Hauslohner & Ryan 2025.
142. ^ Bowman & Lawrence 2025.
143. ^ a b Herman 2024.
144. ^ Kilgore 2024.
145. ^ Adams 2025.
146. ^ Wilson 2025.
147. ^ Kaczynski 2024.
148. ^ Stelter 2022, p. 99.
149. ^ Weissert 2025.
150. ^ Demirjian 2025b.
151. ^ Meyer 2025.
152. ^ Vargas 2025.
153. ^ Steck & Kaczynski 2025.
154. ^ Friedman 2024.
155. ^ Ali & Stewart 2025.
156. ^ Waldman 2025.
157. ^ DiMascio 2009.
158. ^ a b "Who is Pete Hegseth, the pro-Israel Fox News host picked to head Pentagon?". Al Jazeera.
159. ^ Wilson 2024.
160. ^ Iqbal 2025.
161. ^ Howard & Gibson 2024.
162. ^ Steck & Kaczynski 2024.
163. ^ Tarnopolsky 2019.
164. ^ Kine & Egan 2024.
165. ^ Baragona 2020.
166. ^ Shim 2008.
167. ^ Martinez 2025.
168. ^ Stelter 2022, p. 98-99.
169. ^ "Text of the Email That Pete Hegseth's Mother Sent Him". The New York Times.
170. ^ Helmore 2024.
171. ^ Gafni 2024.
172. ^ a b Kranish, Dawsey & O'Connell 2024.
173. ^ Haberman 2024a.
174. ^ a b Copp 2025a.
175. ^ a b Paquette & O'Connell 2024.
176. ^ Seligman, Bergengruen & Youssef 2024.
177. ^ Tolan, Glover & Murray 2024.
178. ^ Chappell 2024.
179. ^ Forsyth 2024.
180. ^ a b Baker & Graham 2024.
181. ^ Youssef 2025.
182. ^ Craven 2024: "Later, Hegseth flashes his right pectoral muscle, and the tattoo that, he says, led to the label: a large, inky Jerusalem cross associated with the Christian right."
183. ^ Swann 2024: "However, both the cross and the Latin phrase 'Deus Vult' are popular among right-wing extremist groups, experts said. . .When used in combination, the Jerusalem cross and 'Deus Vult' are 'an invocation of the claim that crusader violence and its atrocities (including the massacre of civilians) was legitimate.'”
184. ^ Dunbar 2025.
185. ^ Mendick 2024.
186. ^ Horton 2024.
187. ^ a b Fields 2024.
188. ^ Steinberg 2020.
189. ^ Butler 2024.
190. ^ Cooper 2024.
191. ^ Adams & Erickson 2017, p. i.

## Works cited

[edit]

### Books

[edit]

* Adams, Nick; Erickson, Dave (2017). The Case Against the Establishment. New York: Post Hill Press. ISBN 9781682614747.
* Baker, Peter; Glasser, Susan (2022). The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021. New York: Penguin Random House. ISBN 9780385546539.
* Hegseth, Pete (2024). The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free. New York: Broadside Books. ISBN 9780063389427.
* Stelter, Brian (2022). Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth. New York: Atria Publishing Group. ISBN 9781982142445.

### Articles

[edit]

* Abels, Grace; Sherman, Amy (March 26, 2025). "Hegseth says leaked Signal group text didn't have 'war plans'. But screenshots show attack details". Politifact. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
* Adams, Liam (January 13, 2025). "Why Pete Hegseth nomination is a milestone for the rightwing Christian movement he follows". USA Today. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
* Al-Rikabi, Ramsey (November 12, 2024). "Trump to Nominate Fox News Host Hegseth as Defense Secretary". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
* Ali, Idrees; Stewart, Phil (March 10, 2025). "US military cancels climate change studies that Pentagon chief calls 'crap'". Reuters. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
* Arkin, Daniel (June 14, 2018). "'Fox & Friends' co-host faces lawsuit from man he hit with ax". NBC News. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
* Allen, Mike; Vogel, Kenneth (December 8, 2014). "Inside the Koch data mine". Politico. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
* Anderson, Zac (November 12, 2024). "Trump taps conservative media pundit Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary". USA Today. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
* Bade, Rachael; Burns, Dasha (January 28, 2025). "How Trump's orbit used blunt force to squeeze Hegseth through". Politico. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
* Bade, Rachael (February 8, 2025). "JD Vance Aced His First Test. The Next One Will Be Tougher". Politico Magazine. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
* Bade, Rachael (April 21, 2025). "'An amateur person': GOP Rep. Bacon says Hegseth should go". Politico. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
* Baker, Mike; Graham, Ruth (December 5, 2024). "Pete Hegseth and His 'Battle Cry' for a New Christian Crusade". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
* Baragona, Justin (May 22, 2020). "Tucker Carlson and Pete Hegseth Try to Bring 'Kung Flu' Back". The Daily Beast.
* Barnes, Julian; Sanger, David; Cooper, Helene (March 2, 2025). "Hegseth Orders Pentagon to Stop Offensive Cyberoperations Against Russia". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
* Beitsch, Rebecca (March 25, 2025). "Gabbard, Ratcliffe contend Signal chat did not include classified information". The Hill. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
* Bender, Michael (November 21, 2024). "Republicans Rally Behind Pete Hegseth Amid Sexual Assault Accusations". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 21, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
* Bertrand, Natasha; Sebastian, Clare; Britzky, Haley (February 12, 2025). "Hegseth rules out NATO membership for Ukraine and says Europe must be responsible for country's security". CNN. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
* Bertrand, Natasha; Britzky, Haley; Tapper, Jake (April 24, 2025). "'He gets him what he needs Hegseth's new favorite adviser helped set up Signal on one of secretary's computers at Pentagon". CNN. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
* Beuth, Patrick; Diehl, Jörg; Höfner, Roman; Lehberger, Roman; Röhreke, Friederike; Schmid, Fidelius (March 27, 2025). "Private Data and Passwords of Senior U.S. Security Officials Found Online". Der Spiegel. Archived from the original on March 27, 2025. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
* Bolduc, Brian (March 13, 2012). "Hegseth in the Arena". National Review.
* Bowman, Tom (April 21, 2025). "The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense secretary". NPR. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
* Bowman, Tom; Lawrence, Quil (April 25, 2025). "New senior staff announced as White House looks to 'right the ship' at the Pentagon". NPR. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
* Brooks, Jennifer; Helgeson, Baird; Stassen-Berger, Rachel (May 19, 2012). "State Rep. Bills is GOP's choice to take on Klobuchar". The Minnesota Star Tribune. Archived from the original on March 14, 2025. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
* Butler, Kiera (November 15, 2024). "Trump's Defense Secretary Pick Hopes for a Christian Crusade". Mother Jones. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
* Catanese, David (February 17, 2012). "Pete Hegseth's Princeton files". Politico. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
* Catanese, David (March 6, 2012). "Pete Hegseth close to Minnesota Senate bid". Politico. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
* Chang, Sena (January 24, 2025). "From Princeton to the Pentagon: The many faces of Pete Hegseth '03". The Daily Princetonian. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
* Chang, Sena (May 10, 2025). "Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth '03 'plagiarized' small portions of his senior thesis, experts say. But how serious is it?". The Daily Princetonian. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
* Chappell, Bill (November 21, 2024). "Police report gives details, timeline of the sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth". NPR. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
* Cohen, Zachary; Liebermann, Oren (March 14, 2025). "Pentagon tasked with providing 'military options' to ensure US access to Panama Canal, memo says". CNN. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
* "Combat vets attempt to sway Iraq debate". NBC News. Associated Press. August 14, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
* Cooper, Helene (November 13, 2024). "What to Know About Pete Hegseth, Trump's Pick for Defense Secretary". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
* Cooper, Helene; Demirjian, Karoun; Schmitt, Eric; LaFraniere, Sharon; Ismay, John (January 14, 2025). "Republicans Embrace Hegseth as Democrats Question His Fitness to Lead Pentagon". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
* Cooper, Helene; Schmitt, Eric (February 19, 2025). "Hegseth Calls for 8 Percent Annual Defense Cut". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
* Cooper, Helene; Schmitt, Eric (March 24, 2025). "Officials Included Journalist in Group Chat on Yemen Attack Plans in Extraordinary Breach". The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
* Cooper, Helene (May 5, 2025). "Hegseth Orders 20 Percent Cut in Four-Star Officers". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
* Cooper, Michael (May 17, 2007). "McCain in New York". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 14, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
* Cooper, Samantha (December 22, 2002). "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Electron". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
* Copp, Tara; Smith, Michelle; Dearen, Jason (November 15, 2024). "Trump Pentagon pick had been flagged by fellow service member as possible 'Insider Threat'". Associated Press. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
* Copp, Tara (January 23, 2025). "Hegseth told senator he paid $50,000 to woman who accused him of 2017 sex assault". Associated Press. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
* Copp, Tara (March 28, 2025). "Hegseth's younger brother is serving in a key role as liaison and senior adviser inside the Pentagon". Associated Press. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
* Copp, Tara (April 24, 2025). "Hegseth had an unsecured internet line set up in his office to connect to Signal, AP sources say". Associated Press. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
* Craven, Jasper (December 6, 2024). "Pete Hegseth's Crusade to Turn the Military into a Christian Weapon". Politico. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
* Crowley, Kinsey (December 5, 2024). "Who is Penelope Hegseth? What to know after Pete Hegseth's mother addresses leaked email". USA Today. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
* Demirjian, Karoun (December 5, 2024). "Defiant Hegseth Fights to Keep Pentagon Bid Alive, as Votes Remain Uncertain". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
* Demirjian, Karoun (January 14, 2025). "Hegseth Won't Say Whether Sexual Assault, Drinking or Adultery Is Disqualifying". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
* Demirjian, Karoun (March 25, 2025). "Officials in Leaked Chat Had Criticized Clinton's Use of Private Email Server". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 26, 2025. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
* de Moraes, Lisa (June 17, 2014). "Hillary Clinton Takes "Book Tour" To CNN, Fox News Channel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
* Detsch, Jack (November 13, 2024). "Pentagon officials alarmed over Hegseth's lack of experience: 'Would you trust him to run Walmart'?". Politico. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
* DiMascio, Jen (November 5, 2009). "Veterans groups boost lobbying". Politico. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
* Dunbar, Marina (March 27, 2025). "Pete Hegseth's Arabic tattoo stirs controversy: 'clear symbol of Islamophobia'". The Guardian. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
* Falcone, Michael (July 23, 2008). "Iraq Veteran Takes On McCain In New Ad". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 14, 2025. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
* Fields, Ashleigh (March 26, 2025). "Fox's Jennifer Griffin: Info Hegseth sent 'classified' and meant only for secure channels". The Hill. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
* Fields, Ashleigh (November 13, 2024). "5 things to know about Pete Hegseth, Trump's Pentagon nominee". The Hill. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
* Fisher, Marc (November 13, 2024). "Pete Hegseth's Path from Campus Provocateur to Fox to the Pentagon". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
* Friedman, Lisa (December 4, 2024). "What Trump's Cabinet Picks and Advisers Say About Climate Change". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
* Forsyth, Jennifer (December 4, 2024). "Pete Hegseth's Mother Defends Her Son's Character on Fox Show". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
* Fortinsky, Sarah (February 23, 2025). "Hegseth responds to blowback over Friday night Pentagon purge". The Hill. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
* Gafni, Matthias (November 14, 2024). "Trump's defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, was named in Monterey sex assault probe". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 24, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
* Gordon, Michael; Youssef, Nancy; Wise, Lindsay (March 26, 2025). "Hegseth Comes Under Scrutiny for Texting Strike Details as Fallout Grows". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
* Gould, Joie; Gramer, Robbie; McLeary, Paul; O'Brien, Connor; Destch, Jack (November 12, 2024). "'Who the f--k is this guy?': Defense world reacts to Trump's surprise Pentagon pick". Politico. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
* Gould, Joie; O'Brien, Connor; Friedman, Amanda (April 21, 2025). "'White House backs Hegseth, Leavitt says 'entire Pentagon' is resisting him". Politico. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
* Grynbaum, Michael; Tracy, Marc; Hsu, Tiffany (August 5, 2019). "Trump Echoes 'Fox & Friends' on Shootings. The New York Post Dissents". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
* Herman, Alice (November 15, 2024). "Pete Hegseth, Trump's Pentagon pick, sparks alarm over far-right extremism". The Guardian. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
* Haberman, Maggie (November 16, 2024). "Trump's Pick for Pentagon Paid an Accuser but Denies It Was Sexual Assault". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
* Haberman, Maggie (November 17, 2024). "Trump Stands by Defense Pick Who Says Encounter With Woman Was Not Sexual Assault". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
* Haberman, Maggie; Swan, Jonathan; Shear, Michael (December 4, 2024). "As Hegseth Vows to Fight, Trump Considers DeSantis for Defense Secretary". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
* Hauslohner, Abigail (January 20, 2025). "Rubio confirmed as Hegseth, Ratcliffe pass key thresholds". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
* Hauslohner, Abigail; Goodwin, Liz; Kornfield, Meryl (January 25, 2025). "Pete Hegseth confirmed as defense secretary after Vance breaks tie". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
* Hauslohner, Abigail; Ryan, Missy (April 24, 2025). "Senators challenge Hegseth on civilian deaths in Yemen strikes". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
* Helmore, Edward (November 30, 2024). "Trump defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's mother called him 'an abuser of women'". The Guardian. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
* Hill, Michael (November 13, 2024). "Pete Hegseth exits Fox after being announced as Trump's pick to lead DoD". NewscastStudio. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
* Horton, Alex (December 5, 2024). "Bronze Stars, like those Hegseth earned, are common among military officers". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
* Horton, Alex; Natanson, Hannah (March 29, 2025). "Secret Pentagon memo on China, homeland has Heritage fingerprints". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
* Horton, Alex; Lamothe, Dan (April 3, 2025). "Inspector general will scrutinize Hegseth's disclosures in Signal chat". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
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### Documents

[edit]

* "Peter Brian Hegseth in the Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1935–2004" (Document). Birth Index.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Cooper, Helene; Schmitt, Eric (March 25, 2025). "Inside Pete Hegseth's Rocky First Months at the Pentagon". The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

Pete Hegseth at Wikipedia's sister projects

* Definitions from Wiktionary
* Media from Commons
* News from Wikinews
* Quotations from Wikiquote
* Texts from Wikisource
* Textbooks from Wikibooks
* Resources from Wikiversity

Wikiquote has quotations related to Pete Hegseth.

* Hegseth at The Princeton Tory
* Appearances on C-SPAN

Political offices

Preceded by

Lloyd Austin

|  United States Secretary of Defense
2025–present  | Incumbent
Order of precedence
Preceded by

Scott Bessent

as Secretary of the Treasury |  Order of precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Defense | Succeeded by

Pam Bondi

as Attorney General
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by

Scott Bessent

as Secretary of the Treasury |  Sixth in line
as Secretary of Defense | Succeeded by

Pam Bondi

as Attorney General

* v
* t
* e

Senior officials in the United States Department of Defense

Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth

Deputy Secretary of Defense
Steve Feinberg

Secretaries of the military departments

Secretary of the Army: Daniel P. Driscoll
Secretary of the Navy: John Phelan
Secretary of the Air Force: Troy Meink

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Gen Dan Caine, USAF

Under secretaries of defense for

Acquisition and Sustainment: Steven J. Morani (acting)
Research and Engineering: Emil Michael
Policy: Elbridge Colby
Comptroller/Chief Financial Officer: Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell (acting)
Personnel and Readiness: Jules W. Hurst III (acting)
Intelligence: Dustin Gard-Weiss (acting)

Under secretaries of the military departments

Under Secretary of the Army: David R. Fitzgerald (acting)
Under Secretary of the Navy: Victor Minella (acting)
Under Secretary of the Air Force: Edwin Oshiba (acting)

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
ADM Christopher W. Grady, USN

Chiefs of the military services

Chief of Staff of the Army: GEN Randy A. George
Commandant of the Marine Corps: Gen Eric M. Smith
Chief of Naval Operations: ADM James W. Kilby (acting)
Chief of Staff of the Air Force: Gen David W. Allvin
Chief of Space Operations: Gen B. Chance Saltzman

Chief of the National Guard Bureau
Gen Steven S. Nordhaus, USAF

Unified Combatant Command commanders

Africa: Gen Michael E. Langley, USMC
Central: GEN Michael E. Kurilla, USA
Cyber: LTG William J. Hartman, USA (acting)
European: GEN Christopher G. Cavoli, USA
Indo-Pacific: ADM Samuel J. Paparo Jr., USN
Northern: Gen Gregory M. Guillot, USAF
Southern: ADM Alvin Holsey, USN
Space: Gen Stephen N. Whiting, USSF
Special Operations: GEN Bryan P. Fenton, USA
Strategic: Gen Anthony J. Cotton, USAF
Transportation: Gen Randall Reed, USAF

a \- Acting

* v
* t
* e

Defence ministers of the Group of Seven

* McGuinty
* Lecornu
* Pistorius
* Crosetto
* Nakatani
* Healey
* Hegseth

* v
* t
* e

Defense ministers of NATO member states

* Vengu
* Francken
* Zapryanov
* McGuinty
* Anušić
* Černochová
* Poulsen
* Pevkur
* Häkkänen
* Lecornu
* Pistorius
* Dendias
* Szalay-Bobrovniczky
* Þorgerður
* Crosetto
* Sprūds
* Šakalienė
* Backes
* Adžić
* Brekelmans
* Misajlovski
* Sandvik
* Kosiniak-Kamysz
* Melo
* Tîlvăr
* Kaliňák
* Šarec
* Robles
* Jonson
* Güler
* Healey
* Hegseth

Acting defense ministers shown in italics

* v
* t
* e

Members of the Cabinet of the United States

Cabinet members|

Trump • Vance

* Bessent
* Bondi
* Burgum
* Chavez-DeRemer
* Collins
* Duffy
* Hegseth
* Kennedy
* Lutnick
* McMahon
* Noem
* Rollins
* Rubio
* Turner
* Wright

Cabinet-level members|

* Gabbard
* Greer
* Loeffler
* Ratcliffe
* Shea*
* Vought
* Wiles
* Zeldin

*acting
Cabinet of Donald Trump

* v
* t
* e

United States presidential line of succession

* Succession Clause of Article II, Section I (1788)
* 12th Amendment (1804)
* 20th Amendment (1933)
* 25th Amendment (1967)
* Presidential Succession Act

Current line|

1. Vice President (JD Vance)
2. Speaker of the House of Representatives (Mike Johnson)
3. President pro tempore of the Senate (Chuck Grassley)
4. Secretary of State (Marco Rubio)
5. Secretary of the Treasury (Scott Bessent)
6. Secretary of Defense (Pete Hegseth)
7. Attorney General (Pam Bondi)
8. Secretary of the Interior (Doug Burgum)
9. Secretary of Agriculture (Brooke Rollins)
10. Secretary of Commerce (Howard Lutnick)
11. Secretary of Labor (Lori Chavez-DeRemer)
12. Secretary of Health and Human Services (Robert F. Kennedy Jr.)
13. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Scott Turner)
14. Secretary of Transportation (Sean Duffy)
15. Secretary of Energy (Chris Wright)
16. Secretary of Education (Linda McMahon)
17. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Doug Collins)
18. Secretary of Homeland Security (Kristi Noem)

* v
* t
* e

United States secretaries of defense

* Forrestal
* Johnson
* Marshall
* Lovett
* Wilson
* McElroy
* T. Gates
* McNamara
* Clifford
* Laird
* Richardson
* Schlesinger
* Rumsfeld
* Brown
* Weinberger
* Carlucci
* Cheney
* Aspin
* Perry
* Cohen
* Rumsfeld
* R. Gates
* Panetta
* Hagel
* Carter
* Mattis
* Esper
* Austin
* Hegseth

* v
* t
* e

Second cabinet of President Donald Trump (2025–present)

Cabinet

Vice President|

* JD Vance (2025–present)

Secretary of State|

* Marco Rubio (2025–present)

Secretary of the Treasury|

* Scott Bessent (2025–present)

Secretary of Defense|

* Pete Hegseth (2025–present)

Attorney General|

* Pam Bondi (2025–present)

Secretary of the Interior|

* Doug Burgum (2025–present)

Secretary of Agriculture|

* Brooke Rollins (2025–present)

Secretary of Commerce|

* Howard Lutnick (2025–present)

Secretary of Labor|

* Lori Chavez-DeRemer (2025–present)

Secretary of Health and Human Services|

* Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (2025–present)

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development|

* Scott Turner (2025–present)

Secretary of Transportation|

* Sean Duffy (2025–present)

Secretary of Energy|

* Chris Wright (2025–present)

Secretary of Education|

* Linda McMahon (2025–present)

Secretary of Veterans Affairs|

* Doug Collins (2025–present)

Secretary of Homeland Security|

* Kristi Noem (2025–present)

Cabinet-level

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency|

* Lee Zeldin (2025–present)

Director of the Office of Management and Budget|

* Russell Vought (2025–present)

Director of National Intelligence|

* Tulsi Gabbard (2025–present)

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency|

* John Ratcliffe (2025–present)

Trade Representative|

* Jamieson Greer (2025–present)

Ambassador to the United Nations|

* Mike Waltz*

Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers|

* Stephen Miran (2025–present)

Administrator of the Small Business Administration|

* Kelly Loeffler (2025–present)

Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy|

* Michael Kratsios (2025–present)

White House Chief of Staff|

* Susie Wiles (2025–present)

See also: Political appointments of the second Trump administration

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Czech Republic
* Poland
* Israel

Other|

* IdRef

*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced
*[transl.]: translation
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