History of Pete Hegseth in Timeline
Peter Brian Hegseth is an American government official and former television personality. He has served as the 29th United States secretary of defense since 2025. This indicates a career shift from media to a high-ranking position in the U.S. government.
3 hours ago : Pete Hegseth claims Trump finishing war that US didn't start, sparking debate.
Pete Hegseth stated that under President Trump, the US is concluding a war they didn't initiate. This statement, made during live US politics updates, ignited discussions regarding Trump's war powers and US-Iran relations.
June 6, 1980: Peter Brian Hegseth Born
On June 6, 1980, Peter Brian Hegseth was born.
1999: High School Graduation
In 1999, Hegseth graduated from Forest Lake Area High School as valedictorian.
2001: Criticism of Halle Berry
In April 2002, The Princeton Tory criticized Halle Berry for accepting the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Monster's Ball (2001) "on behalf of an entire race".
April 2002: Defend the pillars of Western civilization
In April 2002, Hegseth, as publisher of The Princeton Tory, declared he would "defend the pillars of Western civilization against the distractions of diversity".
2003: Commissioned as Second Lieutenant
After graduating from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army through the university's Reserve Officers' Training Corps program and briefly worked as an equity-markets analyst at Bear Stearns.
2003: Commissioned as Infantry Officer
In 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard.
2004: Basic Training at Fort Benning
In 2004, Hegseth completed his basic training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, and for 11 months he was a Minnesota Army National Guardsman at Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
2004: Hegseth Marries Meredith Schwarz
In 2004, Hegseth married Meredith Schwarz at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Minnesota.
August 2006: Began Working at Manhattan Institute
By August 2006, Hegseth moved to Manhattan and began working at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, where he met a marine who was working for Vets for Freedom, a political advocacy organization.
August 2006: Hegseth Criticizes Operation Iron Triangle
In August 2006, Hegseth opposed Operation Iron Triangle, describing it as "atrocities" to an audience at the University of Virginia. He criticized the US military for accusing soldiers of committing war crimes.
May 2007: Appeared at Fundraiser for John McCain
In May 2007, Hegseth appeared at a presidential campaign fundraiser for John McCain.
October 2008: Hegseth on Homosexuality in the Military
In October 2008, during a Yale Political Union speech, Hegseth disagreed with "Don't ask, don't tell" but noted that "Radical Islam is a far greater threat."
December 2008: Meredith Schwarz Files for Divorce
In December 2008, Meredith Schwarz filed for divorce after Hegseth admitted to five affairs.
2008: Vets for Freedom Supported McCain
In the months leading up to the 2008 United States presidential election, Vets for Freedom began supporting McCain. As the group's chairman, he criticized Democratic nominee Barack Obama for supporting "a dangerous policy of irreversible withdrawal."
January 2009: Vets for Freedom accrued Unpaid Bills
By January 2009, Vets for Freedom had accrued hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills, leading to an internal campaign to oust Hegseth.
November 2009: Hegseth Supports Additional Forces in Afghanistan
In November 2009, during the War in Afghanistan, Hegseth supported sending additional forces into Afghanistan.
2009: Enrolled in Harvard Kennedy School
Hegseth enrolled in the Harvard Kennedy School in 2009, but completed just one semester.
2010: Deployed as Counterinsurgency Instructor
In 2010, Hegseth deployed with the Minnesota Army National Guard as a counterinsurgency instructor in Kabul, Afghanistan.
2010: Hegseth Marries Samantha Deering
In 2010, Hegseth married Samantha Deering, with whom he has three children.
2011: Removed from Leadership
In 2011, Vets for Freedom merged with Military Families United, and Hegseth was removed from leadership.
February 2012: Entered Republican Primary for US Senate
In February 2012, Hegseth decided to enter the Republican primary for the United States Senate election in Minnesota and had selected a campaign manager, Anne Neu Brindley.
March 2012: Hegseth Advocates for Premium Support in Medicare
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.
2013: Graduated with Degree in Public Policy
Hegseth graduated in 2013 with a degree in public policy.
June 2014: Joined Fox News as Contributor
In June 2014, Hegseth was given a position as a regular contributor to Fox News by the network's executive, Roger Ailes.
2014: Criticized Obama for VA Controversy
Hegseth began working as president of Concerned Veterans of America that year. The group criticized Obama for the 2014 Veterans Health Administration controversy.
2014: Became Fox News Contributor
In 2014, Hegseth became a contributor to Fox News.
2014: Promoted to Major
In 2014, after completing his tour, Hegseth was promoted to major and assigned to the Individual Ready Reserve.
2015: Axe Throwing Incident
In 2015, Hegseth threw an axe during a Flag Day event in New York City, accidentally hitting a drummer from the United States Military Academy.
January 2016: Left Concerned Veterans for America
In January 2016, Hegseth left Concerned Veterans for America after allegations of financial mismanagement and alcoholism.
2016: Description of Christian faith in 'In the Arena'
In 2016, Hegseth described his Christian faith as initially "more out of diligent habit than deep conviction" in his book "In the Arena". He also expressed a hatred for Islamic terrorism following the September 11 attacks and criticized the focus on peace and mutual understanding at Princeton University.
2016: Advisor to President Trump
In 2016, Hegseth served as an advisor to President Donald Trump after supporting his campaign.
2016: Publication of 'In the Arena'
In 2016, Pete Hegseth published his memoir, "In the Arena: Good Citizens, a Great Republic, and How One Speech Can Reinvigorate America".
2016: Hegseth Endorses Donald Trump
In 2016, after initially supporting Marco Rubio and later favoring Ted Cruz, Hegseth endorsed Donald Trump for president. Also in 2016 on Fox News, Hegseth criticized Hillary Clinton for her email controversy, stating that her "recklessness in handling information" would usually lead to job firings and potential criminal charges, while also risking foreign access to sensitive information and harming relationships with allies.
2016: Hosted Fox & Friends Weekend and TheBlaze
In 2016, he was briefly a host on TheBlaze before regularly hosting Fox & Friends Weekend that year after Ailes's resignation.
January 2017: Official Co-Host of Fox & Friends Weekend
In January 2017, Hegseth became an official co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend.
October 2017: Sexual Assault Allegation at Hyatt Regency Monterey
In October 2017, Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California. The Monterey Police Department investigated two incidents of sexual assault but did not file criminal charges.
2017: Co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend
From 2017 to 2024, Hegseth co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend.
2017: Hegseth and Deering File for Divorce
In 2017, Hegseth and Deering filed for divorce.
2017: Writing the foreword to 'The Case Against the Establishment'
In 2017, Pete Hegseth wrote the foreword to "The Case Against the Establishment", a book written by Nick Adams and Dave Erickson.
2017: DeVos Confirmation
In November 2024, Hegseth's confirmation was only the second time in US history that a Cabinet nominee's confirmation was decided by a vice president, following Betsy DeVos during the first Trump administration in 2017.
January 2018: Monterey County Declines to File Charges Against Hegseth
In January 2018, Monterey County district attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni declined to file charges against Hegseth regarding the alleged sexual assault. She stated that proof beyond a reasonable doubt was not established.
March 2018: Sought Secretary of Veterans Affairs Position
After Shulkin fell out of favor with the Trump administration in March 2018, Hegseth positioned himself as a potential candidate for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, but Trump selected Robert Wilkie after consulting Hegseth and financier Isaac Perlmutter.
April 2018: Hegseth's Mother Accuses Him of Mistreating Women
In April 2018, an email from Hegseth's mother, Penny, accused him of having mistreated women for years. Penny later apologized, saying her words were written "in anger, with emotion."
October 2018: Trump repeated Hegseth claim about Migrant Caravan
In October 2018, Trump claimed that "unknown Middle Easterners" had infiltrated the migrant caravan based on a comment Hegseth had made on Fox & Friends, though Hegseth said he had not verified his statement's accuracy.
2018: Hosted All-American New Year
In 2018, Hegseth hosted All-American New Year with commentator Lisa Kennedy.
2018: Religious transformation
In 2018, Pete Hegseth experienced a religious transformation after he and his wife, Jennifer, began attending the Colts Neck Community Church in New Jersey. This led to a later move to Nashville, Tennessee to send their children to a Christian school.
March 2019: Hegseth Praises Benjamin Netanyahu
In March 2019, after Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to be criminally charged, Hegseth posted a video describing him as a "great friend to the United States".
June 2019: Joined DC Army National Guard
In June 2019, through the reserve, Hegseth joined the District of Columbia Army National Guard as a traditional drilling service member.
August 2019: Trump Repeats Hegseth claim about video games
In August 2019, Trump repeated claims Hegseth had made correlating video games with mass shootings after two mass shootings in El Paso and in Dayton.
2019: Hosted Battle in the Holy Land and Battle in Bethlehem
From 2019–2023, On Fox Nation, Hegseth hosted the series Battle in the Holy Land. He also hosted the special Battle in Bethlehem (2019), on the service.
2019: Hegseth Marries Jennifer Rauchet
In 2019, Hegseth married Jennifer Rauchet at Trump National Golf Club Colts Neck in New Jersey.
2019: Father's Retirement
In 2019, Hegseth's father retired from his job as a basketball coach for high schools across Minnesota.
2019: Hegseth Describes Climate Change as Government Control Attempt
In 2019, on Fox & Friends, Hegseth described climate change as an attempt at government control.
2019: Axe Throwing Lawsuit Resolved
In 2019, the lawsuit filed by Jeff Prosperie, the drummer injured in the 2015 axe throwing incident, against Hegseth was resolved in an unspecified way.
January 2020: Hegseth Supports Trump's Threat Against Iranian Cultural Sites
In January 2020, Hegseth supported Donald Trump's threat of the destruction of Iranian cultural sites.
May 2020: Hegseth Claims Chinese Government Wants to End Our Civilization
In May 2020, Hegseth said the "communist Chinese" want to "end our civilization".
May 2020: Release of 'American Crusade'
In May 2020, Pete Hegseth released his book, "American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free".
2020: Hoax Publication
According to a Fox News executive in Hoax (2020), Jennifer Rauchet, a producer of Fox & Friends Weekend who later married him, "was favoring Pete with airtime" and "kept putting Pete on TV."
2020: Hegseth defends Trumps policies.
In 2020, Hegseth defended Trump's policies including his interactions with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, and the assassination of Qasem Soleimani.
2020: Hegseth Reportedly Pays Accuser
In 2020, Hegseth reportedly paid the accuser as part of a non-disclosure agreement after she threatened litigative action related to an alleged sexual assault.
2020: Published American Crusade
In 2020, Hegseth wrote the book "American Crusade".
March 2021: Left Duty at Biden Inauguration
In March 2021, Hegseth remained in duty until March 2021. He was barred from serving on duty at the inauguration of Joe Biden after a guardsman flagged Hegseth as an "insider threat", noting a tattoo on his biceps of the words Deus vult.
2021: Hegseth Defends Trump's Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan
In 2021, Hegseth defended Donald Trump's policies, including the 2020-2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
2022: Hosted The Miseducation of America and The Life of Jesus
From 2022–2023, On Fox Nation, Hegseth hosted The Miseducation of America, a television program criticizing "the Left's educational agenda". He also hosted the series The Life of Jesus.
2022: Co-authoring 'Battle for the American Mind'
In 2022, Pete Hegseth co-authored "Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation" with David Goodwin.
2022: Returned Harvard Degree in Protest
In 2022, to protest the offering of classes in critical race theory at Harvard University, Hegseth reportedly wrote "Return to sender" on his degree and sent it back to the university.
2023: Hosted The Miseducation of America and Battle in the Holy Land
From 2022–2023, On Fox Nation, Hegseth hosted The Miseducation of America, a television program criticizing "the Left's educational agenda". He also hosted the series Battle in the Holy Land from 2019-2023.
2023: Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network
In Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network (2023), Dominion Voting Systems included a segment of Fox & Friends Weekend featuring Hegseth with co-hosts Will Cain and Rachel Campos-Duffy, in which they did not reject claims by Rudy Giuliani that the company's voting machines facilitated voting fraud.
January 2024: Resigned from Individual Ready Reserve
In January 2024, Hegseth left the Individual Ready Reserve, writing in his book The War on Warriors (2024) that he resigned over the incident.
June 2024: Publication of 'The War on Warriors'
In June 2024, Pete Hegseth published "The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free".
November 12, 2024: Trump Nominates Hegseth for Secretary of Defense
On November 12, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense, after Tom Cotton declined the position. Hegseth subsequently ended his contract with Fox News. Trump's transition team became aware of a sexual assault allegation involving Hegseth.
November 2024: Hegseth States Women Should Not Serve in Combat Roles
In November 2024, Hegseth stated that women should not serve in combat roles during a podcast interview with Shawn Ryan.
November 2024: Nominated for Secretary of Defense
In November 2024, President-elect Trump nominated Hegseth as his nominee for Secretary of Defense. Later that month, Hegseth was confirmed by the Senate with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote.
November 2024: New York Times Obtains Email from Hegseth's Mother
In November 2024, The New York Times obtained an email from Hegseth's mother, Penny, from April 2018, accusing him of mistreating women for years. After the Times'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".
November 2024: Vanity Fair Reports on Hegseth's Alleged Sexual Assault
In November 2024, Vanity Fair reported the sexual assault allegation against Hegseth, which occurred in October 2017. The Washington Post reported that Hegseth had paid the accuser as part of a non-disclosure agreement after she threatened litigative action in 2020. A memorandum was provided to Donald Trump's presidential transition team alleging that Hegseth raped her.
2024: Published The War on Warriors
In 2024, Hegseth published the book "The War on Warriors".
2024: Pulled from mission due to tattoo concerns
In 2024, Pete 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.
January 2025: Danielle Alleges Hegseth Made His Wife Fear for Her Safety
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. It was said that Samantha once hid in a closet and formed an escape plan.
January 2025: Associated Press Reports Hegseth Paid Accuser
In January 2025, the Associated Press reported that Hegseth had paid the accuser US$50,000 regarding the alleged sexual assault in 2017.
March 2025: Hegseth Cancels Climate Change Studies
In March 2025, Hegseth canceled climate change studies, decrying the phenomenon as "crap" on social media. He also sought to eliminate climate planning from the Department of Defense but included an exception for extreme weather preparation.
May 2025: Pentagon Worship Services Begin
Beginning in May 2025, Secretary Hegseth began holding monthly worship services during business hours at the Pentagon.
August 2025: Sharing CNN video featuring Douglas Wilson
In August 2025, Pete Hegseth shared a CNN video featuring Douglas Wilson. The video 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.
September 2, 2025: Strike on Boat Suspected of Carrying Drugs
On September 2, 2025, SEAL Team 6 led a strike on a boat suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea. Hegseth allegedly ordered the killing of survivors of the strike.
November 2025: Proposed Elimination of Eagle Scout Promotion
In November 2025, Pete Hegseth drafted a memo proposing the elimination of promotion for Eagle Scouts joining the Army and other services, citing a lack of "masculine values" and promotion of "gender confusion." He also threatened to cut all Department of Defense support to Scouting America, including the National Jamboree and sponsorship of scout units on military bases.
November 24, 2025: Hegseth Orders Review of Senator Kelly
On November 24, 2025, Hegseth ordered a review of "serious allegations of misconduct" against Senator Kelly. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was tasked with completing this review by December 10, 2025.
November 28, 2025: Allegations of Hegseth Ordering the Killing of Survivors
On November 28, 2025, The Washington Post published an article alleging that Pete Hegseth had given a spoken order to kill the survivors of a strike on September 2, 2025, by SEAL Team 6 on a boat suspected of carrying drugs. Legal experts characterized Hegseth's alleged orders as murder and a war crime.
December 10, 2025: Deadline for Review of Senator Kelly
December 10, 2025, was the deadline for Secretary of the Navy John Phelan to complete the review of Senator Kelly, as ordered by Hegseth.
2025: Appointed Secretary of Defense
In 2025, Hegseth began serving as the 29th United States Secretary of Defense.
January 5, 2026: Letter of Censure Against Senator Kelly
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. Senator Kelly was notified that Retirement Grade Determination Proceedings would be started based on the Letter of Censure.
January 2026: Hegseth Addresses Unmarked US Military Plane Incident
In January 2026, Sec. Hegseth addressed concerns regarding a U.S. Military plane that attacked a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean. The plane was unmarked and carried armaments inside, violating Defense Department policy. The Pentagon cited the plane's readiness as the reason for its use.
January 2026: Pentagon Uses Claude AI to Capture Maduro
In January 2026, the Pentagon utilized Claude AI during an operation to capture Nicolas Maduro.
February 2026: Defense Department to Eliminate Programs at Harvard
In February 2026, Sec. Hegseth announced the Defense Department would eliminate graduate-level professional military training, fellowships, and certificate programs at Harvard University starting in the fall of 2026, citing the institution's "anti-military bias." The department also planned to investigate other universities, listing 33 colleges and universities including Princeton, Duke, Columbia, and Carnegie Mellon.
February 2026: Grand Jury Declines Indictment Against Kelly
In February 2026, a grand jury declined to return an indictment against Senator Kelly. A federal judge issued a temporary injunction against Hegseth's proposed actions on Kelly's rank and pension.
February 2026: Defense Department Threatens Anthropic over AI Restrictions
In February 2026, the Defense Secretary threatened Anthropic, owner of Claude AI, the only AI authorized by the Department of Defense, to designate the company a supply chain risk. This action was a consequence of Anthropic's restrictions on the use of its AI by the Defense Department. Other companies were close to being approved for use, including Grok, OpenAI and Google.
February 2026: Invitations Sent to Defense Contractors for Worship Services
In February 2026, the Department of Defense began sending out invitations to defense contractors for the monthly worship services at the Pentagon. Several stated that they feel that the services give Christians an advantage of "face time" with Pentagon officials.
February 27, 2026: Scouting America Drops Citizenship Badge
On February 27, 2026, Scouting America announced the immediate removal of the Citizenship in the Society merit badge. Additionally, they will create a military service merit badge and waive registration fees for dependent children of active duty military, National Guard and reserve families. They also agreed to only use male and female designations on applications.
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