Major Controversies Surrounding Pete Hegseth: A Detailed Timeline

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Pete Hegseth.

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.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

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".

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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".

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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".

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.

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.

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: 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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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: 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.