Pete Hegseth

Early life and education

Peter Brian Hegseth was born on June 6, 1980, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is of Norwegian descent. He was the first child of Brian and Penelope "Penny" (Haugen) Hegseth. and his relative lack of experience surprised officials in the department. 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; The Washington Post reported that senior officials on the team were surprised by the allegation and reconsidered his nomination. Despite the allegation, Trump defended Hegseth and several Republican senators indicated that they would support him. 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, The New York Times reported in December that Trump had begun to consider Florida governor Ron DeSantis as an alternative.

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, to support Hegseth's nomination. Trump allies took a direct approach to addressing the controversies, including an interview with Megyn Kelly that impressed Trump. Hegseth appeared at the United States Capitol in December; Trump publicly reaffirmed his support for Hegseth afterwards. The visit gave Iowa senator Joni Ernst, who had threatened his nomination, a positive impression of Hegseth.

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 allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement, and alcohol issues. 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. He did not answer a question from Virginia senator Tim Kaine on whether or not sexual assault, drinking, or infidelity were disqualifying. The Committee on Armed Services voted to advance his nomination 14–13 along party lines on January 20, after Trump was inaugurated. 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 issues with over-consumption of alcohol. Hegseth denied having a drinking problem and pledged not to drink if confirmed.

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 Democratic senator opposed his nomination, leading to a 50–50 vote. Vance cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm Hegseth. 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, Tillis expressed support for Hegseth on X minutes before the vote. His confirmation was the second in US history to be decided by a vice president, after Betsy DeVos's confirmation for secretary of education in 2017.

Initial actions

Hegseth was sworn in as the secretary of defense by JD Vance on January 25. 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 US 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. 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. 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. According to The Washington Post, the Department of Defense Education Activity began removing certain books on immigration and sexuality.

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". He renamed Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg, its original name honoring the Confederate general Braxton Bragg. The military base was now ostensibly renamed for Roland L. Bragg, a previously obscure soldier who served in World War II. 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". The Department of Defense invited Jack Posobiec, an alt-right political activist to accompany Hegseth, according to The Washington Post. Hegseth moderated his comments the following day, stating that it would be possible for Ukraine to join NATO given Trump's discretion.

In February 2025, Hegseth ordered officials within the Department of Defense to reduce funding on most initiatives and began a purge from within the department, firing three top judge advocate generals and Lisa Franchetti, the chief of naval operations. Hegseth stated that "we want lawyers who give sound constitutional advice" rather than "roadblocks to anything". In March, he ordered US 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. Also that month, the Defense Department canceled 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." 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".

Information disclosures and use of Signal

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. The discussions involved US 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". 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.

The incident distressed Hegseth, who threatened to use a polygraph on Christopher W. Grady, the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Goldberg later published most of the Signal chat. 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. 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". The incident led to criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. 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.

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. 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.

According to The Washington Post, Hegseth had Signal installed on his computer to circumvent cellular communication issues and to more easily communicate with other Trump officials. CNN later reported that Ricky Buria, a former aide to secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, had set up Signal on Hegseth's computer. 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. In April, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General announced an inquiry into Hegseth's disclosure of classified information in the Signal chat. 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. At the White House Easter Egg Roll, Hegseth suggested that the revelations were a coordinated smear campaign. 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.

According to NPR, the White House began looking for a secretary of defense to replace Hegseth the following day. Nonetheless, he retained support from Trump, 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. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, stated that "the entire Pentagon is working against" Hegseth. Representative Don Bacon became the first Republican House member to urge that Hegseth be fired. At least five political appointees within the Department of Defense resigned by April 24. 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.

Caribbean boat strikes

On November 28, 2025, The Washington Post published an article alleging Hegseth had given a spoken order to kill the survivors of a September 2, 2025, strike led by SEAL Team 6 on a boat suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea. The operation was overseen by Admiral Frank M. "Mitch" Bradley, from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Bradley described the survivors as legitimate targets, as they could theoretically have contacted other traffickers to rescue them and their cargo, and subsequently ordered the second strike to complete Hegseth's order that everyone must be killed. The Office of Legal Counsel eventually argued that the strike was legal because its goal was to destroy the boat, not to kill the crew, reflecting a secret legal memo endorsing such strikes; the memo has been "fiercely criticized" by legal experts. The strike was the first in a series of strikes against suspected drug traffickers.

The alleged orders were condemned by members of congress, including Representative Seth Moulton, who said "Mark my words: It may take some time, but Americans will be prosecuted for this, either as a war crime or outright murder." Representative Mike Turner stated that "Obviously if that occurred, that would be very serious, and I agree that that would be an illegal act." Hegseth subsequently defended his actions, writing on X that "As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland."

Removal of Anthropic AI

The Defense Secretary threatened Anthropic, the owner of Claude AI (the only AI authorized by the Department of Defense in early 2026), to designate the company a supply chain risk and force the company to eliminate its restrictions on the use of its AI by the Defense Department or he will use the Defense Production Act to compel them. The Defense Department gave Anthropic a deadline of February 27, 2026. The contract Sec. Hegseth wanted to cancel was worth $200 million. A senior defense official stated that the company will "pay a price for forcing our hand like this." Anthropic stated that they wanted assurances that the DoD would not use their AI tools to spy on Americans or develop weapons that could fire without human involvement. In May 2026, the Defense Department announced AI use deals with SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Reflection, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.

On February 27, 2026, Hegseth used the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act to declare Anthropic a supply chain risk and excluded it from all federal contracts. President Trump also stated that every federal agency must stop using Anthropic's AI technology. ChatGPT signed a deal with the Defense Department the same day but their CEO Sam Altman said, "the AI system shall not be intentionally used for domestic surveillance of U.S. persons and nationals." On March 6, 2026, Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei stated that his company will challenge the DoD in court. Anthropic's partners, including Microsoft, Amazon and Google stated their agreement with Amodei. On March 8, 2026, OpenAI (the parent company of ChatGPT) announced that their head of robotics, Caitlin Kalinowski, had resigned stating, "surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got."

Operation Epic Fury

On March 2, 2026, Hegseth stated that joint U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran were a response to prolonged Iranian targeting of American interests. He characterized the actions as an effort to conclude an existing conflict, stating, "We didn't start this war but under President Trump we're finishing it." He noted the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the strikes, remarking, "This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change". He stated that the primary goals were to "destroy the missile threats, destroy the navy," and ensure there are "no nukes". During the briefing, he issued a direct warning to adversaries: "If you kill or threaten Americans anywhere in the world... we will hunt you down, and we will kill you".

Hegseth stated on March 4, 2026, that the Pentagon was "investigating" reports of a deadly airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school in Minab, Iran, while maintaining that the U.S. military "never targets civilian sites." Evidence indicated that it was the U.S. which most likely bombed the school.

On March 10, 2026, Hegseth accused Iran of firing missiles from schools and hospitals and endangering civilians. He also said that Iran is "badly losing" on day 10 of the war.

Army leadership resignations In April 2026, Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George which has left the longest break without a service chief in Army history and making him one of eight high ranking members of the military fired or forced out by the secretary of defense. On August 31, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll gave Hegseth his resignation after a face to face meeting Driscoll had with President Trump where he stated his concerns over the number of army generals fired under Hegseth.

Political positions

Domestic issues Hegseth holds strongly conservative views and has been regarded as a Christian nationalist by critics. 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 gerrymandering to "screw Democrats". He described progressives and Democrats as enemies of freedom, the United States, and the Constitution. Hegseth has said that victory for America includes the end of, communism, socialism, Islamism, globalism, secularism, "genderism", and environmentalism. 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.

Hegseth initially supported Florida senator Marco Rubio in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, later favored Texas senator Ted Cruz, and ultimately endorsed Donald Trump. He defended Trump's policies in his first term, including his interactions with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un, the 2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the assassination of Qasem Soleimani.

In a March 2012 interview with National Review, Hegseth advocated for premium support in Medicare, opposed contraception mandates, and described the Keystone Pipeline as a choice between jobs and environmental impact, asserting he would "always side with jobs." In March 2025, he canceled climate change studies and decried the phenomenon as "crap" on social media. That month, he sought to eliminate climate planning from the Department of Defense but included an exception for extreme weather preparation.

Foreign policy

In November 2009, Hegseth supported sending additional forces into Afghanistan during the War in Afghanistan. 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. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he called Putin a war criminal, but he later told Fox News host Harris Faulkner that the invasion was less significant than "wokeness" and crime. He has criticized United States military aid to Ukraine.

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". 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. In May 2020, Hegseth said the "communist Chinese" want to "end our civilization".

Military affairs 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 at the time, but noted that "Radical Islam is a far greater threat." In a podcast interview with Shawn Ryan in November 2024, Hegseth stated that women should not serve in combat roles.

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

Personal life Marriages and relationships

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. Schwarz filed for divorce in December 2008 after Hegseth admitted to five affairs.

Abuse and sexual assault allegations

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. 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. 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", The Associated Press reported in January 2025 that Hegseth had paid her .

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, where he then allegedly raped her. 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 her. 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. Monterey County district attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni declined to file charges in January 2018, saying that proof beyond a reasonable doubt was not established. later said to have prompted her immediate apology 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. Hegseth is a supporter of CREC co-founder Douglas Wilson. In August 2025, he favorably shared a video from CNN featuring Wilson, with Hegseth commenting on a video that included a pastor from Wilson's church calling for the repeal of women's right to vote, another pastor stating that husbands should cast votes for their entire household, and Wilson stating that women should not hold leadership positions in the military.

Hegseth supports the idea of holy war and has repeatedly praised the Crusades, claiming that people who enjoy the "benefits" of western culture should "thank a crusader". The phrase has been adopted as a slogan by a variety of Christian right and Christian nationalist groups, as well as alt-right and white supremacist groups. In addition to 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. Hegseth also has a tattoo near the Deus vult tattoo reading kafir in Arabic, garnering criticism from some Muslims, who accused him of Islamophobia. In addition, he has a tattoo of the 1754 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". He also has a tattoo of the Chi Rho Christogram, which was the standard of the Christian Roman Empire and has been interpreted as an anti-pagan symbol. In 2024, Hegseth said that concerns over his Jerusalem cross tattoo caused the District of Columbia National Guard to pull him from a mission to guard the inauguration of President Joe Biden and helped spur him to retire from the military. According to the fact-checking website Snopes, at least two of Hegseth's tattoos depict symbols associated with Christian nationalism, though Hegseth may not adhere to Christian nationalist views himself.

Awards and decorations Hegseth's awards and decorations include:

Combat Infantryman BadgeBronze Star Medalwith bronze oak leaf clusterJoint Service Commendation MedalArmy Commendation Medalwith bronze oak leaf clusterNational Defense Service MedalAfghanistan Campaign Medalwith two bronze service starsIraq Campaign Medalwith two bronze service starsGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary MedalGlobal War on Terrorism Service MedalArmed Forces Reserve MedalArmy Service RibbonOverseas Service RibbonNATO Medal

In addition, Hegseth was awarded the Expert Infantryman Badge,

Written works Hegseth published his memoir, In the Arena: Good Citizens, a Great Republic, and How One Speech Can Reinvigorate America, in 2016. 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. In June 2024, Hegseth published The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free. American Crusade, Modern Warriors, Battle for the American Mind, and The War on Warriors have reached The New York Times Best Seller list. He wrote the foreword to The Case Against the Establishment (2017), a book written by Nick Adams and Dave Erickson.