Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American government official and former television personality who has served as the 29thUnited States secretary of defense since 2025.
In November 2024, President-elect Trump named Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense. In aSenate Committee on Armed Services hearing days beforeTrump's second inauguration, Hegseth faced allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement, and excessive drinking. Hegseth was confirmed by theSenate that month, with Vice PresidentJD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote. It was only the second time in US history that aCabinet nominee's confirmation was decided by a vice president (followingBetsy DeVos during thefirst Trump administration in 2017). Hegseth is the second-youngest secretary of defense (afterDonald Rumsfeld during theGerald Ford administration).
Peter Brian Hegseth was born on June 6, 1980, inMinneapolis, Minnesota.[6] He is ofNorwegian descent.[7] He was the first child of Brian and Penelope[8] "Penny" (Haugen) Hegseth.[9][b] Hegseth's father was a basketball coach for high schools across Minnesota before retiring in 2019;[9] his mother is an executive business coach[11] who has taught with the Minnesota Excellence in Public Service (MEPS) Series, a fellowship and leadership program forRepublican and center-right women.[8] Hegseth was raised inForest Lake, Minnesota,[12] and attendedForest Lake Area High School.[13] He graduated in 1999 as valedictorian.[14]
In April 2002, Hegseth declared that, as publisher ofThe Princeton Tory, he would "defend the pillars of Western civilization against the distractions of diversity".[20] The editors ofThe Princeton Tory criticizedHalle Berry for accepting theAcademy Award for Best Actress for her performance inMonster's Ball (2001) "on behalf of an entire race", andThe New York Times for announcing that it would print gay marriage announcements, arguing that it would justify publishing marriage announcements forincestuous,zoophilic, andpedophilic relationships.[21] In October,ThePrinceton Tory published an editorial calling homosexuality immoral. In response, the president of Princeton's student government, Nina Langsam, wrote a strongly worded email to Hegseth andThe Princeton Tory's publisher, Brad Simmons. Her email was published in the following issue.[22][23]
Career
Military service (2003–2006, 2010–2014, 2019–2021)
Hegseth meeting with Mahmood Kalaf Ahmed, the mayor ofSamarra, in 2005
In 2010, Hegseth deployed with the Minnesota Army National Guard as a counterinsurgency instructor.[12] He volunteered to teach at the Counterinsurgency Training Center inKabul, Afghanistan, for eight months,[12] during thewithdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan;[25] he taught one of the final classes at the school.[18] After completing his tour in 2014, he was promoted tomajor[19] and assigned to theIndividual Ready Reserve.[17] Through the reserve, he joined theDistrict of Columbia Army National Guard in June 2019 as a traditional drilling service member, remaining in duty until March 2021.[28] He was barred from serving on duty at theinauguration of Joe Biden after a guardsman flagged Hegseth as an "insider threat", notinga tattoo on hisbiceps of the wordsDeus vult.[29] He left the Individual Ready Reserve in January 2024, writing in his bookThe War on Warriors (2024) that he resigned over the incident.[30]
Political activism (2006–2016)
By August 2006,[18] Hegseth moved toManhattan and began working at theManhattan Institute for Policy Research,[12] where he met amarine who was working forVets for Freedom, a political advocacy organization.[19] He began working for Vets for Freedom in 2006 as an unpaid director;[31] by 2007, he was working full-time as an executive director,[32] and by 2008, he became the organization's president.[31] In May 2007, Hegseth appeared at apresidential campaign fundraiser forJohn McCain.[33] In the months leading up to the2008 United States presidential election, Vets for Freedom began supporting McCain.[34] As the group's chairman, he criticized Democratic nomineeBarack Obama for supporting "a dangerous policy of irreversible withdrawal."[35] 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.[19]
Hegseth speaking at the Defend Freedom Tour in 2013
Hegseth left Concerned Veterans for America in January 2016[46] after allegations of financial mismanagement and alcoholism. Awhistleblower report accused Hegseth of fostering asexist and hostile workplace at Concerned Veterans for America; one whistleblower claimed that Hegseth had used organization funds as a personal expense account. Another former employee claimed he had witnessed Hegseth drunkenly chanting "Kill all Muslims!"[19] In December, President-electDonald Trump considered Hegseth forsecretary 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 ofIraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said that selecting Hegseth would "be war" and "a radical departure" for the department.[46] Trump later choseDavid Shulkin, withThe Washington Post noting Hegseth's lack of experience in operating a large organization.[47] Hegseth told podcasterShawn Ryan that Trump found him too young to assume the position.[48] After Shulkin fell out of favor with theTrump administration in March 2018, Hegseth positioned himself as a potential candidate,[49] but Trump selectedRobert Wilkie after consulting Hegseth and financierIsaac Perlmutter.[50]
By June 2014, Hegseth was given a position as a regular contributor toFox News[51] by the network's executive,Roger Ailes.[52] In 2016, he was briefly a host onTheBlaze[53] before regularly hostingFox & Friends Weekend that year after Ailes's resignation, becoming an official co-host in January 2017.[52] According to a Fox News executive inHoax (2020), Jennifer Rauchet, a producer ofFox & Friends Weekend who later married him, "was favoring Pete with airtime" and "kept putting Pete on TV."[54] Hegseth served as a temporary host forLaura Ingraham onThe Ingraham Angle in an effort by the network to promote other staffers; the change occurred during theboycott ofThe Ingraham Angle after comments Ingraham made aboutDavid Hogg, an activist and survivor of theParkland high school shooting.[55] He hostedAll-American New Year (2018) with commentatorLisa Kennedy.[56]
Hegseth's opinions expressed onFox & Friends influenced Trump's policymaking inhis first term. In October 2018, asa 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 onFox & Friends, though Hegseth said he had not verified his statement's accuracy.[57] Hegseth had apparently based his claim on a statement Guatemalan presidentJimmy Morales made after capturing 100ISIS fighters in the country.[58] In negotiations to avert afederal government shutdown,Democrats neared a deal until Hegseth urged Trump not to support a deal that did not includeUS$5 billion forhis border wall.[59] Trump repeated claims Hegseth had made correlating video games with mass shootings after two mass shootingsin El Paso andin Dayton in August 2019.[60] Hegseth said he had spoken to Trump about pardoning war criminalClint Lorance, accused murdererMathew L. Golsteyn, as well as reversing the demotion ofEddie Gallagher.[61]
At Fox News, Hegseth was the subject of multiple lawsuits. In 2015, hethrew an axe during aFlag Day event inNew York City, accidentally hitting a drummer from theUnited States Military Academy. Video of the incident circulated widely 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 sued Hegseth three years later;[62] the suit was resolved in an unspecified way in 2019.[63] InDominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network (2023),Dominion Voting Systems included a segment ofFox & Friends Weekend featuring Hegseth with co-hostsWill Cain andRachel Campos-Duffy, in which they did not reject claims byRudy Giuliani that the company's voting machines facilitated voting fraud.[64]
Hegseth was chosen among Fox News's hosts to be featured onFox Nation, the network's streaming service.[65] To promote the service, he co-hosted a one-hour special,Fox Nation First Look, withJesse Watters,Tomi Lahren,Britt McHenry, andTyrus.[66] On Fox Nation, Hegseth hostedThe Miseducation of America (2022–2023), a television program criticizing "the Left's educational agenda".[67] He also hosted the seriesBattle in the Holy Land (2019–2023),[68]The Life of Jesus (2022–2023), and the specialBattle in Bethlehem (2019), on the service.[24]
Secretary of Defense (2025–present)
Nomination and confirmation
Hegseth's Senate confirmation hearing to become Secretary of Defense
On November 12, 2024, President-electDonald Trump named Hegseth as his nominee forsecretary of defense,[69] afterArkansas senatorTom Cotton announced he would not serve as secretary.[70] Hegseth subsequently ended his contract withFox News.[43] The selection of Hegseth was seen as a sign that Trump sought to appoint a loyalist to lead theDepartment of Defense,[c] and his relative lack of experience surprised officials in the department.[d] According toVanity Fair,Trump's transition team became aware the following day ofa sexual assault allegation involving Hegseth that occurred inMonterey, California, seven years prior;[77]The Washington Post reported that senior officials on the team were surprised by the allegation and reconsidered his nomination.[78] Despite the allegation, Trump defended Hegseth[79] and several Republican senators indicated that they would support him.[80] His nomination was threatened by an article fromJane Mayer inThe New Yorker detailing alleged financial mismanagement and alcohol issues while leading his veterans' groups,[19] while anNBC News article reported that his drinking habits concerned his colleagues at Fox News;[81]The New York Times reported in December that Trump had begun to considerFlorida governorRon DeSantis as an alternative.[82]
In an effort to retain his nomination amid controversies, Hegseth began a campaign that month.[citation needed] 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 toThe New York Times. In addition, theTimes reported that Vice President-electJD Vance had led a group of Republicans, includingDonald Trump Jr., former Trump aideSteve Bannon, political activistCharlie Kirk, andBreitbart News reporter Matt Boyle.[83][needs context] Trump allies took a direct approach to addressing the controversies, including an interview withMegyn Kelly that impressed Trump.[84] Hegseth appeared at theUnited States Capitol;[85][when?] Trump publicly reaffirmed his support for Hegseth afterwards.[86] The visit gaveIowa senatorJoni Ernst, who had threatened his nomination, a positive impression of Hegseth.[87][needs context]
Hegseth appeared before theSenate 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 byDemocrats over allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement, and alcohol issues.[88]Rhode Island senatorJack Reed, the committee's ranking member, noted that Hegseth had used the term "jagoff" in his bookThe War on Warriors (2024) to derogatorily refer to aJudge Advocate General officer who reprimanded him on the use ofrocket-propelled grenades.[89] He did not answer a question fromVirginia senatorTim Kaine on whether or not sexual assault, drinking, or infidelity were disqualifying.[90] The Committee on Armed Services voted to advance his nomination 14–13 along party lines on January 20, after Trump wasinaugurated.[91] 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.[92] Hegseth denied having a drinking problem and pledged not to drink if confirmed.[93]
Hegseth being sworn in by Vice President Vance.
On January 24, Hegseth was confirmed by theSenate in a 51–50 vote. EveryRepublican senator, with the exception ofSusan Collins,Lisa Murkowski, andMitch McConnell, voted to confirm him, while every Democratic senator opposed his nomination, leading to a 50–50 vote. Vance cast atie-breaking vote to confirm Hegseth.[94] His confirmation was threatened by SenatorThom Tillis, who told Senate majority leaderJohn Thune the day before that he would not vote for Hegseth on the basis of his sexual assault allegations. Persuaded by Vance,[95] Tillis expressed support for Hegseth onX minutes before the vote.[96] His confirmation was the second in US history to be decided by a vice president, afterBetsy DeVos's confirmation forsecretary of education in 2017.[97]
Vance swore Hegseth in as secretary of defense on January 25.[98] 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 withIndo-Pacific to deterChina, and support Trump's effort to "end wars responsibly"—including theRusso-Ukrainian War and theMiddle Eastern crisis.[99]
Initial actions
Trump and Hegseth deliver comments in theOval Office in March 2025.
Hegseth andNATO Secretary GeneralMark Rutte at the Pentagon, April 24, 2025
In February 2025, Hegseth ordered officials within the Department of Defense to reduce funding on most initiatives[108] and began a purge from within the department,[109] firing three topjudge advocate generals andLisa Franchetti, the chief of naval operations.[110][111] Hegseth stated that "we want lawyers who give sound constitutional advice" rather than "roadblocks to anything".[112] In March, he orderedUS Cyber Command to halt offensive operations againstRussia, in an apparent effort to encourage Russian presidentVladimir Putin tonegotiate an end to theRusso-Ukrainian War.[113] 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."[114] Separately, theTrump administration instructed Hegseth to "immediately" present "credible military options to ensure fair and unfettered US military and commercial access to thePanama Canal".[115]
In April 2025, Hegseth issued a directive to thesecretary of the Army ordering on a sweeping overhaul, prioritizing defending the homeland and deterringChina in theIndo-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 mergingArmy Futures Command andTraining and Doctrine Command, and merging four-star headquartersArmy Forces Command withArmy North andArmy South into a single headquarters focused on homeland defense[116] as well as the elimination of at least 20% of four-star general positions to enhance efficiency and operational effectiveness.[117] 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.[118]
In March 2025,Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief ofThe Atlantic,reported that he had been accidentally included byMike Waltz in aSignal group chat where Hegseth shared information aboutattacks in Yemen hours before they occurred.[119] The discussions involved US officials, including Vance and secretary of stateMarco Rubio. According toThe 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 amidongoing efforts byChina to obtain telecommunications records. A spokesperson for theNational 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".[120][121] Director of National IntelligenceTulsi Gabbard said no classified information was shared and CIA directorJohn Ratcliffe said Signal was authorized for the group chat.[122]
The incident distressed Hegseth, who threatened to use apolygraph onChristopher W. Grady, the actingchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[123] Goldberg later published most of the Signal chat.[124] The chat showed that Hegseth posted information including the launch times ofF-18 aircraft,MQ-9 drones andTomahawk missiles, as well as the time when the F-18 aircraft would reach their targets, and the time when the bombs would land.[125][126] 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".[127] The incident led to criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.[128] After the Signal leak, media outletDer 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, andWhatsApp account.[129]
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, atBrussels, with NATO officials, and the other in March, at the Pentagon, with British Defense SecretaryJohn Healey.[130] Meanwhile, theAssociated 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.[10] Phil, who previously worked in podcasting and media relations, was confirmed by Hegseth's office to be working in the Pentagon as aDepartment of Homeland Security liaison to the Department of Defense.[10] That month,The Washington Post detailed a memorandum written by Hegseth orienting the department towards deterring a potential invasion ofTaiwan and supporting homeland defense by "assuming risk" in Europe. The document contained passages that were identical to those present inProject 2025.[131]
In April, theDepartment of Defense Office of Inspector General announced an inquiry into Hegseth's disclosure of classified information in the Signal chat.[132] 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.[133] At the White House Easter Egg Roll, Hegseth suggested that the revelations were a coordinated smear campaign.[134] John Ullyot, the former spokesman for the Department of Defense, wrote in aPolitico 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.[135]
According toNPR, the White House began looking for a secretary of defense to replace Hegseth the following day.[136] Nonetheless, he retained support from Trump,[137] 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.[138][139]Karoline Leavitt, theWhite House press secretary, stated that "the entire Pentagon is working against" Hegseth.[140] RepresentativeDon Bacon became the first Republican House member to urge that Hegseth be fired.[141]
According toThe Washington Post, Hegseth had Signal installed on his computer to circumvent cellular communication issues and to communicate with other Trump officials easier.[142]CNN later reported that Ricky Buria, a former aide to secretary of defenseLloyd Austin, had set up Signal on Hegseth's computer.[143] According to the Associated Press, the computer was on an unsecuredinternet line that was not using one of the Department of Defense'sIP addresses.[144]
At least five political appointees within the Department of Defense resigned by April 24.[123] That day, Joe Kesper, Hegseth's chief of staff, resigned, but stated that he would remain at the department as aspecial government employee.[145] 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 toPolitico.[146] Hegseth received criticism fromSenate Democrats over alleged civilian deaths in the Yemen strikes.[147] In the same month,Sean Parnell, Justin Fulcher, Patrick Weaver, and Ricky Buria were announced as new senior advisers.[148]
In September 2025, Hegseth gathered the Department of Defense's senior military leaders toQuantico, Virginia, for an address calling for tighter fitness standards and opposition to "woke garbage". The event featured Trump.[149]
In October 2025, Hegseth implemented a newPentagon press policy requiring journalists to pledge not to solicit or use unauthorized material, including unclassified information, or risk losing access to the building. The policy, which critics argued posed a threat to press freedom and First Amendment protections, was widely rejected by the media. Nearly all major US news organizations, includingABC,CNN,Fox News,The New York Times, andThe Washington Post, refused to sign the agreement, citing concerns over press restrictions and government transparency. The only outlet to comply with the policy wasOne America News Network.[150][151]
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.[152] The operation was overseen by AdmiralFrank 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.[152] Hegseth's explanation for the strike has shifted over time.[153][154][155] TheOffice 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.[156] The strike was the first in a series of strikes against suspected drug traffickers.[152] Hegseth's alleged orders were characterized by several legal experts as murder and a war crime.[157][152][158]
The alleged orders were condemned by members of congress, including RepresentativeSeth 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."[152] Both SenatorsTim Kaine andMark Kelly described the alleged orders as a war crime.[159] RepresentativeMike Turner stated that "Obviously if that occurred, that would be very serious, and I agree that that would be an illegal act."[159] On November 28, 2025, SenatorRoger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee wrote in a statement that the committee had directed inquiries about the orders to the defense department, and "we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances."[160][161] 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."[162]
On November 24, 2025, Hegseth ordered a review of "serious allegiations of misconduct" against Senator Kelly, with the explicit mention of potential "recall to active duty for court-martial procedures or administrative measures".[163] Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was then tasked with this review and ordered to complete it by December 10, 2025. On January 5, 2026, Hegseth issued a Secretarial Letter of Censure against Senator Kelly in his capacity as a retired Navy Captain, without the right to appeal. On the same day, Senator Kelly was notified by the Office of the Chief of Naval Personnel that Retirement Grade Determination Proceedings would be started based on Hegseth's aforementioned Letter of Censure.[163] In February 2026, a grand jury declined to return an indictment against Kelly and the others for the video.[164] A federal judge subsequently issued a temporary injunction against Hegseth's proposed actions on Kelly's rank and pension based on the significant merits and very high likelihood of success of Kelly's appeal to protection of free speech under the First Amendment.[165]
Hegseth meeting with Israeli prime ministerBenjamin Netanyahu in February 2025
In November 2009, Hegseth supported sending additional forces intoAfghanistan during theWar in Afghanistan.[182] He advocated for withdrawing from Afghanistan in his interview with theNational Review, but argued that special operators should remain in the country and that theAfghan Army should be supported to avert a conflict.[12]
Hegseth has supported the premiership ofBenjamin Netanyahu. After Netanyahu was expected to becriminally 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".[188] He has argued that theChinese 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 theMexico–United States border.[189] In May 2020, Hegseth said the "communist Chinese" want to "end our civilization".[190]
Hegseth opposedOperation 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 theUniversity of Virginia. He has criticized the US military for accusing soldiers of committing war crimes.[18]
Personal life
Marriages
Hegseth and his wife Jennifer
In 2004, Hegseth married Meredith Schwarz, a graduate ofForest Lake Area High School, at theCathedral of Saint Paul inMinnesota; 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 atVets For Freedom. Hegseth married Deering, with whom he has three children, in 2010; they filed for divorce in 2017.[2][11] In 2019, Hegseth married Jennifer Rauchet, a producer onFox & Friends, atTrump National Golf Club Colts Neck inNew Jersey, in an event attended by theTrump family.[193]
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 inMonterey, California, in October 2017, when he was scheduled to speak at theCalifornia 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.[194]The Washington Post reported that Hegseth had paid the accuser as part of anon-disclosure agreement after she threatened litigative action in 2020. In addition, the paper obtained a memorandum provided toDonald Trump's presidential transition team by an associate of the accuser, a 30-year-old conservative group staffer, that alleged that Hegseth raped her.[195] 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",[195] during the#MeToo movement, risking his career.[196] TheAssociated Press reported in January 2025 that Hegseth had paid herUS$50,000.[197]
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,[198] where he then allegedly raped her.[199] 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.[198] According toCNN, the accuser went to a hospital to report a sexual assault and obtained arape kit test in the emergency room.[200] 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.[201] Monterey County district attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni declined to file charges in January 2018, saying that proof beyond areasonable doubt was not established.[197]
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,[202][203] later said to have prompted her immediate apology[11]
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 theTimes'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".[11] She defended her son onFox News, saying he was "redeemed, forgiven, changed".[204] 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.[92]
Religion
InIn the Arena (2016), Hegseth described hisChristian faith as initially "more out of diligent habit than deep conviction". Following theSeptember 11 attacks, he developed a hatred forIslamic terrorism, and "he found himself repelled by the [Princeton University]campus chapel's 'gospel ofmoral relativism,' and disparaged his fellow students for focusing on peace and 'mutual understanding' rather than 'condemnations of Islamic terrorism'".[24] He toldNashville Christian Family that he experienced a religious transformation in 2018 after he and his wife, Jennifer, began attending the Colts Neck Community Church inNew Jersey. Seeking to send their children to Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy, aChristian school, the Hegseths moved toNashville, Tennessee, three years later. There, they joined the Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship, a church in theCommunion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC).[205] Hegseth is a supporter of CREC co-founderDouglas Wilson. In August 2025, he favorably shared a video fromCNN featuring Wilson, with Hegseth commenting on a video that included a pastor from Wilson's church calling for the repeal ofwomen's right to vote, another pastor stating that husbands should cast votes for their entirehousehold, and Wilson stating that women should not hold leadership positions in the military.[206]
Hegseth supports the idea ofholy war and has repeatedly praised theCrusades, claiming that people who enjoy the "benefits" ofWestern culture should "thank a crusader".[207][205]
Tattoos
Hegseth in 2022, with his "We the People" tattoo clearly visible
Hegseth played on his high school's football team and was apoint guard on the basketball team, where he set school records for career three-point shots, single-season three-point shots, and single-season three-point shooting percentage. He was named all-conference twice and earned all-state honors as a senior.[14]
Awards and decorations
Hegseth's awards and decorations include:[215][216]
In the Arena: Good Citizens, a Great Republic, and How One Speech Can Reinvigorate America, 2016
The Case Against the Establishment, 2017
American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free, 2020
Modern Warriors: Real Stories from Real Heroes, 2020
Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation, 2022
The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free, 2024
Notes
^Also known asSecretary of War following PresidentDonald Trump's2025 executive order authorizing it as a secondary title. However, only anact of Congress can statutorily change the name of his position.[1]
^Brian and Penny had two children after Hegseth: Nate (born 1982/1983) and Philip[10] (born 1992/1993).[9]
^Attributed to multiple references: />[24]Craven, Jasper (December 6, 2024)."Pete Hegseth's Crusade to Turn the Military into a Christian Weapon".Politico. Archived fromthe original on December 7, 2024. RetrievedJanuary 26, 2025.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.</ref>[209]
^Swann, Sara (November 25, 2024)."Did Pete Hegseth's tattoos bar him from National Guard service in 2021?".Poynter Institute. Archived fromthe original on November 26, 2024. RetrievedMarch 4, 2025.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.
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