Pete Hegseth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pete Hegseth
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Hegseth in 2021
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| United States Secretary of Defense Designate |
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| Assuming office January 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Steve Feinberg (nominee) |
| Succeeding | Lloyd Austin |
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Peter Brian Hegseth
June 6, 1980 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
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| Children | 7 |
| Education |
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| Military service | |
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| Years of service |
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| Rank | Major |
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| Battles/wars | |
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Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American television presenter, author, and Army veteran. He has been chosen to be the next United States Secretary of Defense.
After finishing college at Princeton University, Hegseth worked as an analyst. From 2003 to 2014, and again from 2019 to 2021, he served as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard. He reached the rank of Major. He earned the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq in 2005. In 2014, he went to Afghanistan to help train local security forces.
After his military service, Hegseth became involved in Republican politics. He led groups like Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. Since 2014, he has been a political commentator for Fox News. He was also a co-host of Fox & Friends from 2017 to 2024.
In 2016, Hegseth supported Donald Trump's presidential campaign. He sometimes advised Trump during his first term as president. In 2019, Hegseth encouraged Trump to pardon some soldiers. Hegseth was considered for a role in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs but another person was chosen. He holds strong conservative views. He has written books like American Crusade (2020) and The War on Warriors (2024).
After Donald Trump was re-elected in 2024, Hegseth was nominated to be the secretary of defense. He was approved by the Senate on January 24, 2025. He will be the second-youngest person to hold this important job.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Hegseth was born on June 6, 1980, in Forest Lake, Minnesota. He went to Forest Lake Area High School. In 2003, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University. Later, in 2013, he received a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
While at Princeton, Hegseth was in charge of The Princeton Tory, a conservative student newspaper. He also played on the Princeton Tigers men's basketball team.
Military Service and Deployments
After graduating from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth worked briefly as an analyst. He also became an infantry officer in the Minnesota National Guard.
From 2004 to 2005, his unit was sent to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. There, he served as an infantry platoon leader and received the Army Commendation Medal.
From 2005 to 2006, Hegseth volunteered to serve in Baghdad and Samarra, Iraq. He was an infantry platoon leader and later worked in civil-military operations. During his time in Iraq, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and another Army Commendation Medal.
Hegseth returned to active military duty in 2012 as a captain. He volunteered to go to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard. His mission was to help train Afghan security forces. In 2014, Hegseth was promoted to the rank of major. He then left active duty and joined the Army Individual Ready Reserve (IRR).
Civilian Career and Media Work
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After returning from Iraq, Hegseth worked at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. In 2007, he became the executive director of Vets For Freedom (VFF). This group supported having more troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hegseth also served as president of Concerned Veterans of America. This group was funded by the Koch brothers. It supported making the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) more private. It also aimed to involve veterans in conservative political causes.
In 2012, Hegseth ran for the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota. He later withdrew from the race.
Fox News Contributor
Hegseth started working for Fox News in 2014 as a contributor. He often appeared on the channel and co-hosted All-American New Year in 2018.
- On June 14, 2015, Hegseth accidentally hit a West Point drummer with an axe during a live TV segment. The incident became widely known online.
- During the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Hegseth first supported Marco Rubio, then Ted Cruz, and finally Donald Trump. He became a strong supporter of Trump.
- From 2017 to 2024, Hegseth was a co-host on the morning show Fox and Friends.
- In 2023, during the Dominion v. Fox News court case, Hegseth and his co-hosts were mentioned for making statements about Dominion.
DC National Guard Service
Hegseth rejoined the Guard in 2019, serving in the District of Columbia Army National Guard.
He volunteered to help provide security for the 2021 presidential inauguration of Joe Biden. However, he was asked to stay home from the event. Hegseth stated that his superiors removed him because of his Jerusalem cross tattoo, which they believed was connected to extremism.
He wrote in his book that this event led him to resign from the Guard. His last day as a member of the D.C. Army National Guard was March 31, 2021.
U.S. Secretary of Defense
Nomination and Confirmation
On November 12, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced his plan to nominate Hegseth as the next U.S. secretary of defense. Hegseth ended his work with Fox News to prepare for this role.
Republicans largely supported Hegseth's nomination. On January 24, the Senate voted 50-50 on his nomination. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote, confirming Hegseth. He is scheduled to be sworn in on January 25. He will be the first person from Minnesota to hold this position.
Political Views
Hegseth has been described as having strong conservative views. In his book, American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free, he wrote about differences between political groups in America. He believes in an "American crusade" for freedom.
COVID-19 Pandemic
In February 2020, during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Hegseth made comments about the virus. He suggested that some people wanted the virus to spread. He also encouraged healthy people to get the virus to build immunity. He used terms like "Wuhan virus" and "Chinese virus."
Education
Hegseth has criticized universities for teaching certain topics. In June 2022, he publicly crossed out Harvard on his diploma. He said this was a protest against universities that he believes are "poisoning their mind" with certain ideas.
He has also criticized public schools. He believes they are teaching harmful ideas to children. He has suggested that parents should fight against public education.
Foreign Affairs
Hegseth has been critical of America's NATO allies. He believes that NATO is mainly paid for by the United States. He has suggested that NATO should be changed or even "scrapped." He has also criticized Turkey's membership in NATO.
He has also criticized US funding for the United Nations. He believes it promotes an "anti-American" agenda. In 2022, he said the Russian invasion of Ukraine was less important than other issues. However, in March 2022, he called Russian president Vladimir Putin a war criminal. He has also voiced criticism of US military aid to Ukraine.
Hegseth supports Israel. He has said that Zionism and Americanism are important for Western civilization. He opposes the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
He has called Iran's government an "evil regime." In January 2020, he supported Trump's decision to kill Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. He has also expressed strong views about China, saying it wants to "end our civilization."
Military Policies
Hegseth has spoken against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the US military. He believes these efforts weaken the military. He has called for removing military leaders who support such programs. He also opposes renaming U.S. Army installations named for Confederate soldiers.
In his 2024 book, The War on Warriors, Hegseth criticized efforts to counter extremism within the US military. He believes that such efforts push out patriotic service members. He has also suggested that the US should not always follow the Geneva Conventions in war.
Regarding women serving in combat, Hegseth has said that it makes fighting more complicated. He believes men are more capable in combat roles due to biological factors.
Personal Life
Pete Hegseth has been married three times. In 2004, he married Meredith Schwarz. They divorced in 2009. In 2010, he married Samantha Deering, and they had three sons. They divorced in 2017.
In 2019, Hegseth married Jennifer Rauchet. He has seven children in total. He lives in Tennessee. Hegseth has said he had a religious transformation in 2018. He is a member of Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship, a church.
Hegseth has several tattoos, including a Jerusalem cross on his chest. He also has "Deus Vult" (Latin for "God wills it") on his bicep.
Books
Hegseth's books include:
- Hegseth, Pete (2022). Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation. Broadside Books. ISBN: 978-0-06-321504-7.
Hegseth also wrote the foreword for the 2017 book The Case Against the Establishment (ISBN: 978-1-6826-1474-7) by Nick Adams and Dave Erickson.
Awards, Decorations, and Badges
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Combat Infantryman Badge |
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Bronze Star (x2) |
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Joint Service Commendation Medal |
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Army Commendation Medal (x2) |
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National Defense Service Medal |
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Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with 2 service stars) |
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Iraq Campaign Medal (with 2 service stars) |
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Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal |
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Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |
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Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with bronze hourglass device) |
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Army Service Ribbon |
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Army Overseas Service Ribbon |
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NATO Medal (ISAF) |
See also
In Spanish: Pete Hegseth para niños
- New Yorkers in journalism
