Quick Details about Pete Hegseth

Quick Facts About Pete Hegseth

Pete Hegseth, a former executive director and officer of Vets for Freedom, was sworn in as the US Defense Secretary on January 20, 2025, under the Trump administration. The Senate confirmed his nomination in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

Born on June 6, 1980, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Hegseth attended Princeton University, where he earned a B.A. in 2003, and later attended Harvard University, where he earned an M.P.P. in 2013. He served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, achieving the rank of Major, and has earned two Bronze Star Medals.

Hegseth's political career began in earnest in 2012 when he ran for Minnesota's US Senate seat but dropped out after a rival candidate won the Republican Party's nomination. Following this, he led Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) for more than four years, after his stint at Vets for Freedom. In 2014, he joined Fox News as a contributor.

Hegseth's nomination was not without controversy. On January 14, 2025, a Senate panel conducted a confirmation hearing for Hegseth, during which he was questioned about excessive drinking allegations, sexual assault accusations, and his shifting public view on women in military combat.

In April 2025, it was reported that Hegseth shared detailed plans about a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on a Signal group chat, including his wife, lawyer, and brother. This raised questions about the appropriate use of confidential information.

Hegseth has a history of supporting controversial policies, including using the US military to put down domestic riots, speaking in favor of enhanced interrogation methods such as waterboarding, pardoning US soldiers convicted of war crimes, targeting cultural institutions in drone strikes, and banning women from combat roles.

In 2019, CNN reported that Hegseth privately encouraged US President Donald Trump to pardon some US service members accused of war crimes. This action, if taken, would have been highly controversial and could have significant implications for the rule of law.

On November 29, 2024, The New York Times reported that Hegseth's mother, Penelope Hegseth, wrote an email accusing him of mistreating former wife Samantha Deering and other women. This allegation, if true, could have implications for Hegseth's leadership as Defense Secretary.

In 2021, Hegseth was removed from inauguration duty for US President Joe Biden as a National Guard member because of a religious tattoo. He resigned from the military on November 15, 2024, after being flagged as a possible "insider threat" due to a tattoo.

Hegseth has three marriages: Meredith Schwarz (2004-2009, divorced), Samantha Deering (2010-2018, divorced), and Jennifer Rauchet (2019-present). With Jennifer Rauchet, he has four children: Gwendolyn, Kenzie (Jennifer's child from a previous relationship), Jackson, and Luke. With Samantha Deering, he has three children: Gunner, Peter Boone, and Rex.

In his new role as Defense Secretary, Hegseth oversaw a rebranding of the department as the "Department of War" in its common usage during that time. The implications of this rebranding, and how it will affect the conduct of US military operations, remain to be seen.