Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Pete Hegseth
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Pete Hegseth made an impact.
Peter Brian Hegseth is an American government official who has served as the 29th United States Secretary of Defense since 2025. He is also a former television personality. His role as Secretary of Defense indicates a position of significant authority within the U.S. government, overseeing the Department of Defense and the nation's military forces.
2003: Commissioned as Infantry Officer
In 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard.
2003: Commissioned as Second Lieutenant
In 2003, after graduating from Princeton, Hegseth was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army.
2004: Basic Training at Fort Benning
In 2004, Hegseth completed his basic training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia.
August 2006: Began Working at Manhattan Institute
In August 2006, Hegseth began working at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.
August 2006: Hegseth Criticizes Operation Iron Triangle
In August 2006, Hegseth opposed Operation Iron Triangle, describing the deaths of three Iraqi men as "atrocities."
2006: Started with Vets for Freedom
Hegseth began working for Vets for Freedom in 2006 as an unpaid director.
May 2007: Appeared at McCain Fundraiser
In May 2007, Hegseth appeared at a presidential campaign fundraiser for John McCain.
October 2008: Hegseth on Homosexuality in the Military
In an October 2008 Yale Political Union speech, Hegseth disagreed with "Don't ask, don't tell," noting that "Radical Islam is a far greater threat."
2008: Supported John McCain
Leading up to the 2008 United States presidential election, Vets for Freedom, with Hegseth as chairman, began supporting John McCain.
November 2009: Hegseth Supports Sending Additional Forces to Afghanistan
In November 2009, Hegseth supported sending additional forces into Afghanistan during the War in Afghanistan.
2010: Deployed as Counterinsurgency Instructor
In 2010, Hegseth deployed with the Minnesota Army National Guard as a counterinsurgency instructor in Kabul, Afghanistan.
2011: Removed from Vets for Freedom Leadership
By 2011, Hegseth was removed from leadership at Vets for Freedom after the group merged with Military Families United.
February 2012: Entered Republican Primary
In February 2012, Hegseth entered the Republican primary for the United States Senate election in Minnesota.
March 2012: Hegseth Advocates for Premium Support in Medicare
In a March 2012 interview, Hegseth advocated for premium support in Medicare, opposed contraception mandates, and supported the Keystone Pipeline, prioritizing jobs over environmental impact.
June 2014: Joined Fox News as Contributor
In June 2014, Hegseth was given a position as a regular contributor to Fox News.
2014: Promoted to Major
After completing his tour in 2014, Hegseth was promoted to major and assigned to the Individual Ready Reserve.
2014: CVA Criticized Obama
Concerned Veterans of America, under Hegseth's leadership, criticized President Obama for the 2014 Veterans Health Administration controversy.
2014: Became Fox News Contributor
In 2014, Hegseth became a contributor to Fox News.
January 2016: Left Concerned Veterans for America
In January 2016, Hegseth left Concerned Veterans for America after allegations of financial mismanagement and alcoholism.
2016: Hegseth Endorses Donald Trump
In 2016, Hegseth initially supported Marco Rubio, then Ted Cruz, but ultimately endorsed Donald Trump for president. On Fox News, he criticized Hillary Clinton for her email controversy.
2016: Advisor to Donald Trump
In 2016, Hegseth served as an advisor to President Donald Trump after supporting his campaign.
2016: Briefly Hosted on TheBlaze
In 2016, Hegseth was briefly a host on TheBlaze before regularly hosting Fox & Friends Weekend.
2016: Published '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'.
January 2017: Official Co-Host of Fox & Friends Weekend
In January 2017, Hegseth became an official co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend.
2017: Co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend
From 2017 to 2024, Hegseth co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend.
2017: Confirmation decided by VP
Hegseth confirmation as Secretary of Defense echoed the rare 2017 instance of Betsy DeVos's confirmation being decided by a Vice President.
2017: Wrote 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.
March 2018: Positioned Himself for Secretary of Veterans Affairs
After Shulkin fell out of favor, Hegseth positioned himself as a potential candidate for Secretary of Veterans Affairs in March 2018.
2018: Hosted All-American New Year
Hegseth hosted All-American New Year in 2018 with Lisa Kennedy.
March 2019: Hegseth Supports Benjamin Netanyahu
In March 2019, after Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to be criminally charged, Hegseth described him as a "great friend to the United States".
June 2019: Joined DC Army National Guard
In June 2019, Hegseth joined the District of Columbia Army National Guard as a traditional drilling service member.
2019: Hegseth Describes Climate Change as Attempt at Government Control
In 2019, Hegseth described climate change as an attempt at government control on Fox & Friends.
2019: Hosted Battle in Bethlehem
In 2019, Hegseth hosted the special Battle in Bethlehem on Fox Nation.
January 2020: Hegseth Supports Trump's Threat to Destroy Iranian Cultural Sites
In January 2020, Hegseth supported Donald Trump's threat of destroying Iranian cultural sites.
May 2020: Hegseth Claims Chinese Want to End Our Civilization
In May 2020, Hegseth said the "communist Chinese" want to "end our civilization".
May 2020: Released 'American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free'
In May 2020, Pete Hegseth released his book 'American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free'.
2020: Hegseth Defends Trump's Policies
In 2020, Hegseth defended Trump's policies during his first term, including interactions with Kim Jong Un.
2020: Hegseth Publishes 'American Crusade'
In 2020, Hegseth published his book "American Crusade", where he characterized "Americanism" as opposition to movements like feminism, globalism, Marxism, and progressivism. He equated democracy to a leftist demand and expressed support for gerrymandering. He described progressives and Democrats as enemies of freedom.
2020: Authored American Crusade
In 2020, Hegseth wrote the book "American Crusade".
2021: Hegseth Defends Trump's Policies
In 2021, Hegseth defended Trump's policies during his first term, including the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the assassination of Qasem Soleimani.
2022: Hosted The Miseducation of America
From 2022 to 2023, Hegseth hosted The Miseducation of America on Fox Nation, criticizing "the Left's educational agenda".
2022: Hosted The Life of Jesus
From 2022-2023, Hegseth hosted The Life of Jesus on Fox Nation
2022: Co-authored 'Battle for the American Mind'
In 2022, Pete Hegseth co-authored 'Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation' with David Goodwin.
2023: Hosted Battle in the Holy Land
From 2019 to 2023, Hegseth hosted the series Battle in the Holy Land on Fox Nation.
January 2024: Resigned from Individual Ready Reserve
In January 2024, Hegseth resigned from the Individual Ready Reserve, citing the inauguration incident in his book "The War on Warriors (2024)".
June 2024: Published '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 for Secretary of Defense after Tom Cotton declined the position. Hegseth subsequently ended his contract with Fox News. His selection was viewed as Trump appointing a loyalist with limited experience, surprising officials in the Department of Defense.
November 2024: Nominated for Secretary of Defense
In November 2024, President-elect Trump nominated Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense.
November 2024: Hegseth States Women Should Not Serve in Combat Roles
In a November 2024 podcast interview, Hegseth stated that women should not serve in combat roles.
2024: Authored The War on Warriors
In 2024, Hegseth wrote the book "The War on Warriors".
2024: Pulled from mission due to tattoo concerns
In 2024, concerns over Pete Hegseth's Jerusalem cross tattoo allegedly caused the District of Columbia National Guard to pull him from a mission to guard the inauguration of President Joe Biden, which spurred his retirement from the military.
March 2025: Hegseth Cancels Climate Change Studies
In March 2025, Hegseth canceled climate change studies and sought to eliminate climate planning from the Department of Defense, with an exception for extreme weather preparation.
November 2025: Hegseth Proposes Eliminating Promotion for Eagle Scouts
In November 2025, Pete Hegseth proposed eliminating promotions for Eagle Scouts joining the Army, citing a lack of "masculine values" and promotion of "gender confusion." He threatened to cut Department of Defense support to Scouting America, banning military bases from hosting scout units. He claimed the organization attacked "boy-friendly" spaces by allowing girls in 2018. The proposal was met with criticism from military families and retired military.
December 2025: Hegseth Proposes Merging Commands
In December 2025, Pete Hegseth proposed merging the Northern and Southern Commands into an "Americas" Command and the European, Central, and Africa Commands into an International Command.
2025: Appointed Secretary of Defense
In 2025, Hegseth began serving as the 29th United States Secretary of Defense.
January 2026: Pentagon Uses Claude AI in Operation Against Maduro
During their January 2026 operation to capture Nicolas Maduro, the Pentagon used Claude AI.
January 2026: Hegseth Asked About Unmarked Military Plane
In January 2026, Sec. Hegseth was questioned about a U.S. military plane attacking a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean. The plane was unmarked and carried armaments inside, violating Defense Department policy. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson did not deny the reports, citing mission requirements.
February 2026: Hegseth Threatens Anthropic over AI Restrictions
In February 2026, Defense Secretary Hegseth threatened Anthropic, owner of Claude AI, to remove restrictions on AI use by the Defense Department, or face being designated a supply chain risk and forced compliance under the Defense Production Act. The DoD set a February 27, 2026, deadline, citing concerns about Anthropic's assurances regarding spying on Americans and autonomous weapons. The Defense Department also stated in February 2026 that Grok, OpenAI and Google were close to being approved for use.
February 2026: Defense Department to Eliminate Graduate Military Training 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, citing "anti-military bias." The DoD would investigate other universities. Opponents argued this could hurt readiness and retention.
March 2, 2026: Pentagon Releases List of Partner Institutions
On March 2, 2026, the Pentagon released a list of 20 partner institutions, cited by Hegseth as examples of "intellectual freedom." Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger criticized the policy.
March 4, 2026: Hegseth Investigating Airstrike on Iranian Girls' School
On March 4, 2026, Hegseth stated that the Pentagon was "investigating" reports of a deadly airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school in Minab, Iran, while maintaining that the U.S. military "never targets civilian sites." Evidence indicated that the U.S. likely bombed the school.
March 6, 2026: Anthropic to Challenge DoD in Court
On March 6, 2026, Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei stated that his company would challenge the Department of Defense in court, after Sec. Hegseth declared it a supply chain risk and excluded it from federal contracts. Partners like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google supported Anthropic.
March 8, 2026: OpenAI Robotics Head Resigns Over Surveillance Concerns
On March 8, 2026, OpenAI's head of robotics, Caitlin Kalinowski, resigned, stating concerns over the lack of deliberation regarding surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization.
March 10, 2026: Hegseth Accuses Iran of Endangering Civilians
On March 10, 2026, Hegseth accused Iran of firing missiles from schools and hospitals and endangering civilians. He also claimed Iran was "badly losing" on day 10 of the war.
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