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. Since 2025, he has served as the 29th United States Secretary of Defense.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2001: Criticism of Halle Berry

In 2001, the editors of The Princeton Tory criticized Halle Berry for accepting the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in "Monster's Ball" "on behalf of an entire race".

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April 2002: Defense 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: Criticism of Operation Iron Triangle

In August 2006, Pete Hegseth opposed Operation Iron Triangle, a raid that resulted in the death of three Iraqi men, which he described as "atrocities" at the University of Virginia.

October 2008: Yale Political Union Speech on Homosexuality in the Military

In October 2008, Pete Hegseth disagreed with "Don't ask, don't tell", the United States's position on homosexuality in the military at the time, but noted that "Radical Islam is a far greater threat."

2015: Accidental 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, leading to a lawsuit.

January 2016: Left Concerned Veterans for America

In January 2016, Hegseth left Concerned Veterans for America after allegations of financial mismanagement and alcoholism surfaced, including a whistleblower report accusing him of fostering a sexist workplace.

October 2017: Alleged Sexual Assault at Hyatt Regency Monterey

In October 2017, Pete Hegseth allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California, while scheduled to speak at the California Federation of Republican Women convention. He was investigated but not criminally charged.

January 2018: Monterey County DA Declines to File Charges

In January 2018, Monterey County district attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni declined to file charges against Pete Hegseth, saying that proof beyond a reasonable doubt was not established regarding the alleged sexual assault.

April 2018: Email from Hegseth's Mother Accusing Him of Mistreatment

In April 2018, Pete Hegseth's mother, Penny, sent an email accusing her son of having mistreated women for years.

2018: Scouting America allows girls to join organization

In 2018, Scouting America allowed girls to join the organization, which Hegseth claimed was attacking 'boy-friendly' spaces. In November 2025, Hegseth proposed eliminating promotion for Eagle Scouts joining the Army due to this change.

2019: Resolution of Axe Throwing Lawsuit

In 2019, the lawsuit resulting from the 2015 axe-throwing incident was resolved in an unspecified way.

January 2020: Support for Trump's Threat on Iranian Cultural Sites

In January 2020, Pete Hegseth supported Donald Trump's threat to destroy Iranian cultural sites.

May 2020: Claims about the Chinese Government

In May 2020, Pete Hegseth claimed that the "communist Chinese" want to "end our civilization". He also argued that the Chinese government is "building a military to defeat the United States" and repeated claims by Trump that "tens of thousands of Chinese nationals" have been sent to the Mexico–United States border.

2020: Non-Disclosure Agreement Payment

In 2020, Pete Hegseth paid the accuser as part of a non-disclosure agreement after she threatened litigative action.

2022: Protested Critical Race Theory at Harvard

In 2022, Hegseth protested the offering of classes in critical race theory at Harvard University by reportedly writing "Return to sender" on his degree and sending it back.

2023: Involvement in Dominion Lawsuit

In Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network (2023), Dominion Voting Systems included a segment of Fox & Friends Weekend featuring Hegseth, in which they did not reject claims by Rudy Giuliani about voting fraud.

January 2024: Resigned from Individual Ready Reserve

In January 2024, Hegseth resigned from the Individual Ready Reserve, citing the "insider threat" incident in his book "The War on Warriors".

The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free

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November 2024: Comments on Women in Combat Roles

In November 2024, Pete Hegseth stated that women should not serve in combat roles during a podcast interview with Shawn Ryan.

November 2024: Reporting on Mother's Email

In November 2024, The New York Times obtained an email from Pete Hegseth's mother, Penny, from April 2018, accusing her son of having mistreated women for years.

November 2024: Report of Alleged Sexual Assault

In November 2024, Vanity Fair reported that Pete Hegseth had allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California, in October 2017.

January 2025: Allegations from Samantha's Sister

In January 2025, NBC News reported that Samantha's sister Danielle had sent an affidavit to senators alleging that Pete Hegseth had made his wife concerned for her safety.

January 2025: Payment of US$50,000 to Accuser

In January 2025, the Associated Press reported that Pete Hegseth had paid the accuser US$50,000.

March 2025: Hegseth Cancels Climate Change Studies

In March 2025, Hegseth canceled climate change studies and decried the phenomenon as "crap" on social media. That month, he sought to eliminate climate planning from the Department of Defense but included an exception for extreme weather preparation.

August 2025: Sharing a Video Featuring Douglas Wilson

In August 2025, Pete Hegseth favorably shared a video from CNN featuring Douglas Wilson, commenting on its content regarding women's roles and rights.

September 2, 2025: SEAL Team 6 Strike in the Caribbean Sea

On September 2, 2025, SEAL Team 6 led a strike on a boat suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea. Admiral Frank M. "Mitch" Bradley oversaw the operation from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The survivors were considered legitimate targets and a second strike was ordered to complete Hegseth's alleged order to kill everyone.

November 2025: Hegseth Proposes Eliminating Promotion for Eagle Scouts

In November 2025, Hegseth proposed eliminating promotion for Eagle Scouts joining the Army, citing a lack of "masculine values" and "promoting gender confusion." He also threatened to cut Department of Defense support to Scouting America, banning military bases from hosting or sponsoring scout units, claiming the organization was attacking "boy-friendly" spaces by allowing girls to join in 2018. Military families criticized this, fearing harm to military dependent children and the military itself.

November 24, 2025: Hegseth orders review of misconduct allegations against Senator Kelly

On November 24, 2025, Pete Hegseth ordered a review of "serious allegations of misconduct" against Senator Kelly, explicitly mentioning potential "recall to active duty for court-martial procedures or administrative measures". Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was tasked with completing the review by December 10, 2025.

November 28, 2025: Allegations of Hegseth ordering the killing of survivors of a strike

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 September 2, 2025, strike led by SEAL Team 6 on a boat suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea. Legal experts characterized the alleged orders as murder and a war crime.

December 10, 2025: Deadline for the review of misconduct allegations against Senator Kelly

December 10, 2025, was the deadline for Secretary of the Navy John Phelan to complete the review of "serious allegations of misconduct" against Senator Kelly, which was ordered by Pete Hegseth on November 24, 2025.

January 5, 2026: Hegseth issues Letter of Censure against Senator Kelly

On January 5, 2026, Pete Hegseth issued a Secretarial Letter of Censure against Senator Kelly in his capacity as a retired Navy Captain, without the right to appeal. On the same day, Senator Kelly was notified that Retirement Grade Determination Proceedings would be started based on Hegseth's Letter of Censure.

January 2026: Hegseth Asked About Unmarked Military Plane

In January 2026, Sec. Hegseth was questioned about a U.S. military plane that attacked a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean. The plane, unmarked and carrying armaments inside, violated Defense Department policy. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson neither confirmed nor denied the reports, citing mission requirements.

February 2026: Hegseth Threatens Anthropic Over AI Restrictions

In February 2026, Defense Secretary Hegseth threatened Anthropic, the owner of Claude AI, to designate the company a supply chain risk and force them to eliminate restrictions on their AI use by the Defense Department, or he would use the Defense Production Act to compel them. The contract was worth $200 million. The Defense Department also stated that Grok, OpenAI, and Google were close to being approved for use.

February 2026: Hegseth Eliminates Military Training at Harvard

In February 2026, Sec. Hegseth announced the Defense Department would eliminate all graduate-level professional military training, fellowships, and certificate programs at Harvard University starting in the fall of 2026 due to the institution's "anti-military bias." The DoD also said it would investigate other universities.

February 2026: Grand Jury declines to indict Kelly; injunction against Hegseth's actions

In February 2026, a grand jury declined to return an indictment against Senator Kelly. A federal judge then issued a temporary injunction against Hegseth's proposed actions on Kelly's rank and pension, citing First Amendment concerns.

March 4, 2026: Pentagon "Investigating" Deadly Airstrike in Iran

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 it was the U.S. which most 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 DoD in court after Sec. Hegseth used the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act to declare Anthropic a supply chain risk on February 27, 2026. Anthropic's partners, including Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, stated their agreement with Amodei.

March 8, 2026: OpenAI Head of Robotics Resigns

On March 8, 2026, OpenAI (the parent company of ChatGPT) announced that their head of robotics, Caitlin Kalinowski, had resigned, stating, "surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got."

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 said that Iran is "badly losing" on day 10 of the war.

March 2026: Promotion of a nihilist cult of death

According to Jan-Werner Müller of The Guardian, as of March 2026, "Pete Hegseth [was] promoting a nihilist cult of death".

March 2026: Military Leaders Claim War Against Iran is "Part of God's Divine Plan"

In March 2026, military leaders reportedly told service members that the war against Iran, also known as Operation Epic Fury, was part of "God's divine plan" and that President Donald Trump was anointed by Jesus. A commander even quoted the Book of Revelation, saying the war would bring the second coming of Jesus Christ. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation received over 200 complaints, citing violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and reflecting Secretary Hegseth's leadership.

April 2, 2026: Hegseth Allows Personal Firearms on Military Installations

On April 2, 2026, Secretary Hegseth signed a memo allowing military personnel to carry personal firearms on military installations, citing self-defense and Second Amendment rights. While supporters applauded the policy, others expressed concern about its practicality and impact on emergency responses.

April 3, 2026: Pentagon Hosts Protestant Service on Good Friday

On April 3, 2026, Good Friday, the Pentagon hosted a Protestant service in the Pentagon chapel, with Air Force leaders sending an email stating that there would be a Protestant Service and no Catholic Mass. An employee expressed feeling that Catholics were not welcome, and a 40-year Pentagon employee stated that this was the first time a Catholic Good Friday service wasn't offered at the Pentagon Chapel.

April 15, 2026: Hegseth Quotes "Pulp Fiction" Prayer

On April 15, 2026, Secretary Hegseth quoted a prayer based on lines from the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, which includes a passage from Ezekiel 25:17, during a Pentagon prayer session he led. The prayer had reportedly been used by the search and rescue team that saved two downed airmen in Iran earlier that April.

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April 2026: Hegseth Compares the Press to Biblical Pharisees

In April 2026, Hegseth compared the press to biblical Pharisees, calling them "the so-called and self-appointed elites of their time", who are "there to witness, to write everything down, to report."

April 2026: Controversial Quote from Pulp Fiction

In April 2026, Pete Hegseth controversially quoted what he said was a prayer, that is based on the incorrect biblical quote recited by Samuel L. Jackson's character in the film Pulp Fiction.

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2026: Criticism as Secretary of Defense

During his tenure as Secretary of Defense, Hegseth has drawn criticism for actions such as a leaked government group chat, alleged war crimes, promoting Christianity inside the military, using unmarked military planes, and the use of force in the 2026 Iran war.