Pete Hegseth Fast Facts
Birth date: June 6, 1980
Birth place: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Birth name: Peter Brian Hegseth
Father: Brian Hegseth, basketball coach
Mother: Penelope 'Penny' Hegseth, career coach
Marriages: Jennifer Rauchet (2019–present); Samantha Deering (2010-2018, divorced); Meredith Schwarz (2004-2009, divorced)
Children: with Jennifer Rauchet: Gwendolyn, Kenzie, Jackson and Luke (Kenzie, Jackson and Luke are Jennifer's children from a previous relationship); with Samantha Deering: Gunner, Peter Boone and Rex
Education: Princeton University, B.A., 2003; Harvard University, M.P.P., 2013
Military service: Army National Guard, 2002-2021, Major
Religion: Christian
Has earned two Bronze Star Medals.
Authored five books.
After his stint at Vets for Freedom, Hegseth also led Concerned Veterans for America (CVA), another veteran advocacy nonprofit, for more than four years.
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.
2007- 2012 - Vets for Freedom, executive director and later as officer.
2012 - Runs for Minnesota's US Senate seat before dropping out after a rival candidate wins the Republican Party's nomination.
2014 - Joins Fox News as a contributor.
2017-November 12, 2024 - Named co-host of 'Fox & Friends Weekend.'
May 21, 2019 – CNN reports Hegseth privately encouraged US President Donald Trump to pardon some US service members accused of war crimes, according to a person familiar with the conversations.
January 2021 - Is removed from inauguration duty for US President Joe Biden as a National Guard member because of what he describes as a religious tattoo of a Jerusalem cross. Hegseth resigns from the military. On November 15, 2024, Reuters and The Associated Press report that Hegseth was flagged by a fellow servicemember as a possible 'insider threat' due to a 'Deus Vult' (Latin for 'God wills it') tattoo on his right arm, a symbol used by White nationalists.
November 12, 2024 - President-elect Trump announces Hegseth as his nomination for secretary of defense.
November 20, 2024 - According to a police report from the city attorney's office of Monterey, California, a woman told police that Hegseth sexually assaulted her in his hotel room on October 8, 2017. In a statement released on November 21, 2024, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni says that her office declined to file charges against Hegseth in January 2018 because 'no charges were supported by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.'
November 29, 2024 - The New York Times reports Hegseth's mother, Penelope Hegseth, wrote Pete an email on April 30, 2018, accusing him of mistreating former wife Samantha Deering and other women. On the same day, Penelope Hegseth says in a phone interview with the New York Times that she regrets sending the email, arguing that her son is a changed man.
January 14, 2025 - A Senate panel conducts a confirmation hearing for Hegseth. Hegseth is questioned about excessive drinking allegations, sexual assault accusations and his shifting public view on women in military combat.
January 24, 2025 - In a 51-50 vote, the Senate confirms Hegseth to be the US defense secretary. Vice President JD Vance casts the tie-breaking vote.
January 25, 2025 - Is sworn in as the 29th US secretary of defense.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Newsom account knocks Dana Perino over criticism of posts: ‘They still don't get it'
A social media account run by the press office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) knocked Fox News anchor Dana Perino after she criticized the Democrat's press strategy. 'ALMOST A WEEK IN AND THEY STILL DON'T GET IT,' the governor's office wrote Monday on social platform X in response to a segment on Fox's daytime table talk program 'The Five.' During the segment, Perino, who served as a top White House aide during former President George W. Bush's administration, said Newsom and his team 'have to stop it with the Twitter thing.' 'I don't know where his wife is,' she continued. 'If I were his wife, I would say you are making a fool of yourself, stop it.' Newsom's press account has in recent days made a series of posts mocking President Trump and his administration, writing in all caps — the president's signature style — and attacking Fox News and its hosts directly. A recent example came amid the redistricting battle that has spread across the U.S. after Texas Democrats fled the Lone Star State to avoid voting on a map that could give Republicans up to five additional House seats in next year's midterms. Newsom pressed Trump to pull back the GOP efforts. 'DONALD TRUMP, THE LOWEST POLLING PRESIDENT IN RECENT HISTORY, THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!! (THE NEXT ONE IS THE LAST ONE!),' Newsom's press office posted on X. 'STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES.' California Democrats unveiled legislation Monday to move forward with their own redistricting plan to counteract the Texas moves. The governor's pushback on Trump comes amid speculation he could be eyeing a run for president in 2028. 'He's got a big job as governor of California, but if he wants an even bigger job, he has to be a little bit more serious,' Perino said. In a follow up post on Tuesday, the Governor's press account attacked the host again writing 'FOX HATES THAT I AM AMERICA'S MOST FAVORITE GOVERNOR ('RATINGS KING') SAVING AMERICA — WHILE TRUMP CAN'T EVEN CONQUER THE 'BIG' STAIRS ON AIR FORCE ONE ANYMORE!!!' Updated: 1:55 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump says US may provide air support to back a Ukraine peace deal
By Andrea Shalal, Tom Balmforth and Anastasiia Malenko WASHINGTON/LONDON/KYIV (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he had ruled out putting U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine, but said the United States might provide air support as part of a deal to end Russia's war in the country. A day after Trump pledged security guarantees to help end the war at an extraordinary White House summit, the path to peace remained uncertain as the U.S. and allies prepared to work out what military support for Ukraine might include. "When it comes to security, (Europeans) are willing to put people on the ground. We're willing to help them with things, especially, probably ... by air," Trump said in an interview with the Fox News "Fox & Friends" program. Trump did not elaborate. Later, in an interview with radio host Mark Levin, Trump characterized his negotiating style in trying to end the war as "probably instinct more than process." Hours after Zelenskiy's meetings in Washington, Russia launched its biggest air assault in more than a month on Ukraine, with 270 drones and 10 missiles launched, the Ukrainian air force said. The energy ministry said the strikes caused big fires at energy facilities in the central Poltava region, home to Ukraine's only oil refinery. Trump conceded that Russian President Vladimir Putin might not want to make a deal after all, saying, "We're going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks." The nature of U.S. military aid for Ukraine under a peace deal was unclear. Air support could take many forms, such as missile defense systems or fighter jets enforcing a no-fly zone. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that U.S. air support was "an option and a possibility," but, like Trump, she did not provide any details. "The president has definitively stated U.S. boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies," she said at a news briefing. Before Monday's summit in Washington, Russia, which has often said that it agreed with the idea of security guarantees for Kyiv, reiterated its long-standing position that it "categorically" rejected "any scenarios involving the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine." Analysts say more than 1 million people have been killed or wounded in the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. TRILATERAL MEETING? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the White House talks as a "major step forward" toward ending Europe's deadliest conflict in 80 years and setting up a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump. Zelenskiy's warm rapport with Trump contrasted sharply with their disastrous Oval Office meeting in February. Trump discussed Budapest as a venue for a summit involving Zelenskiy and Putin with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday, a White House official said. Istanbul, where delegations for the two countries have met previously, has also been mentioned, a senior administration official said. Hungary is one of the few European places that Putin could visit without fear of arrest on International Criminal Court charges as Orban maintains close ties with the Russian leader. It was unclear whether Ukraine would accept Hungary as a venue. Neutral Switzerland also said it would be ready to host Putin for any peace talks. "They are in the process of setting it up," Trump told radio host Levin about a Putin/Zelenskiy meeting. But Trump cast doubt on whether he would attend. "Now I think it would be better if they met without me. ... If necessary, I'll go," he said. Trump, asked by Levin how he balanced the interests of all the parties involved, said, "Well, it's probably instinct more than process. I have instincts." There has been so far no confirmation from Russia that a potential bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy is being planned. After Trump's call to Putin on Monday, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said only that the discussion included the idea of "raising the level of representatives" in peace talks from both countries - but he did not elaborate to what level. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published on Tuesday that contacts involving national leaders must be prepared "with the utmost thoroughness" and cannot be pursed for the sake of "media coverage or evening broadcasts." Ukraine's allies held talks in the so-called Coalition of the Willing format on Tuesday, discussing additional sanctions to crank up the pressure on Russia. The grouping has also agreed that planning teams will meet U.S. counterparts in the coming days to develop security guarantees for Ukraine. NATO military leaders were expected to meet on Wednesday to discuss Ukraine, with U.S. General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expected to attend virtually, officials told Reuters. Putin has shown no sign of backing down from demands for territory, including land not under Russia's military control, following his summit with Trump on Friday in Alaska. Neil Melvin, a director at the International Security at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank, said Russia could drag out the war while trying to deflect U.S. pressure with a protracted peace negotiation. Melvin said both Ukraine and its European allies on one side and Russia on the other were striving "not to present themselves to Trump as the obstacle to his peace process." "They're all tiptoeing around Trump" to avoid any blame, he said, adding that Trump's statements on security guarantees were "so vague it's very hard to take it seriously."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
White House Rages at Rocker Who Dissed Trump's ‘Vulgar' Oval Office
The Trump administration has clapped back at Grammy-winning musician Jack White's critical commentary on the president's new-look Oval Office. White, former front man for The White Stripes, unleashed on Instagram on Monday, claiming that Donald Trump's torrent of gold and gilded additions to the office were an 'embarrassment to American history,' describing it as 'a vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy, professional wrestler's dressing room.' 'Look at his disgusting taste, would you even buy a used car from this conman, let alone give him the nuclear codes?,' White said, posting a photo of the Oval Office. 'A gold plated Trump bible would look perfect up on that mantle with a pair of Trump shoes on either side wouldn't it?' Responding to White's verdict on Trump's tacky decor, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told the Daily Beast: 'Jack White is a washed up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career.' Cheung added, 'It's apparent he's been masquerading as a real artist, because he fails to appreciate, and quite frankly disrespects, the splendor and significance of the Oval Office inside of 'The People's House.'' White's post has had almost 120,000 likes and is the latest of many anti-Trump comments the 50-year-old has made on social media, which has seen him label the president everything from a 'obvious fascist and wannabe dictator' to a 'Nazi clown.' When one comment on his Oval Office post said 'it was an insult' to compare 'this gold poop' to locker rooms, White noted, 'I agree that pro wrestlers don't deserve the comparison.' White has won 12 Grammy awards, his first being for the White Stripes classic 'Seven Nation Army', a song which Trump used without permission in a campaign video last year, prompting the musician to threaten to sue him. 'Don't even think about using my music you fascists,' White wrote in a fiery Instagram post responding to the video. Despite Cheung claiming White's career has 'stalled', his most recent album, last year's No Name, was nominated at the 2025 Grammy awards for Best Rock Album. His next major gig is the CBGB Festival in Brooklyn next month, playing alongside Iggy Pop and the Sex Pistols. Trump has been bringing a touch of his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort to the White House this year. Paintings have gold frames, gold cherubs have been shipped in from his resort, with gilded mirrors on the wall and gold appliqués on the fireplace, which is topped with urns. 'I picked it all myself,' Trump said last month. 'I'm very proud of it.' Barbara Res, once a VP at the Trump Organization, witnessed the real estate tycoon's penchant for filling Trump Tower, Mar-a-Lago and the Plaza Hotel with gold, polished bronze and brass. 'He used the word 'class' a lot, and it was a high-class thing for him,' Res told USA Today of his taste in decorations and fittings. 'It conveyed an illusion of taste and wealth, and that's why he wanted to gild everything.' Trump has also replaced the lawn in the Rose Garden with paving, claiming women had complained their high heels were sinking into the grass. He is planning on hosting a UFC match on the grounds of the White House next year.
