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 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.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2001: Criticized Halle Berry's Award

The Princeton Tory, edited by Hegseth, criticized Halle Berry for accepting the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in "Monster's Ball" in 2001.

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April 2002: Defended 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".

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: Alleged sexual assault at Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa

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. The Monterey Police Department investigated two incidents of sexual assault that occurred shortly before midnight and 7 a.m. the following morning.

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 related to an alleged sexual assault, stating that proof beyond a reasonable doubt was not established.

April 2018: Hegseth's mother accuses him of mistreating women

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

October 2018: Trump Cited Hegseth on Migrant Caravan

In October 2018, Trump claimed that "unknown Middle Easterners" had infiltrated a migrant caravan, apparently citing a comment Hegseth had made on Fox & Friends.

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2018: Scouting America Allows Girls

In 2018 Scouting America began allowing girls to join the organization. Pete Hegseth claimed the organization attacked "boy-friendly" spaces by this decision.

August 2019: Trump Repeated Claims on Video Games

After two mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton in August 2019, Trump repeated claims Hegseth had made correlating video games with mass shootings.

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.

American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free

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2020: Non-disclosure agreement reported

In 2020, The Washington Post reported that Pete Hegseth had paid his accuser as part of a non-disclosure agreement after she threatened litigative action related to an alleged sexual assault that occurred in October 2017.

2020: Dominion Voting Systems Lawsuit

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 in the 2020 presidential election.

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March 2021: Left Duty at Inauguration

In March 2021, Hegseth was barred from serving on duty at the inauguration of Joe Biden after being flagged as an "insider threat" due to a tattoo.

2022: Protested Critical Race Theory at Harvard

In 2022, Hegseth reportedly returned his Harvard degree with "Return to sender" written on it, protesting the offering of classes in critical race theory.

2023: Featured in Dominion Voting Systems Lawsuit

In 2023, Hegseth was featured in Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network, related to claims of voting fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

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)".

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

Check it on Amazon

November 2024: Email from Hegseth's mother surfaces

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: Sexual assault allegations reported by Vanity Fair

In November 2024, Vanity Fair reported that Pete Hegseth had allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in October 2017. It was also reported that Hegseth paid the accuser as part of a non-disclosure agreement after she threatened litigative action in 2020.

January 2025: Affidavit alleges Hegseth made his wife concerned for her safety

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: Reported payment to accuser

In January 2025, the Associated Press reported that Pete Hegseth had paid his accuser US$50,000 related to the alleged sexual assault in October 2017.

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.

May 2025: Hegseth Begins Monthly Worship Services at the Pentagon

Starting in May 2025, Secretary Pete Hegseth initiated monthly worship services during business hours at the Pentagon. By February 2026, invitations were extended to defense contractors. These services sparked concerns about potential discrimination against non-Christian personnel, and complaints were filed with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

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, which was overseen by Admiral Frank M. "Mitch" Bradley. The operation's survivors were deemed legitimate targets who could potentially alert other traffickers. This strike was the first in a series against suspected drug traffickers.

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.

November 24, 2025: Hegseth Orders Review of Misconduct Allegations Against Senator Kelly

On November 24, 2025, Pete Hegseth ordered a review of misconduct allegations against Senator Kelly, potentially leading to recall to active duty for court-martial procedures. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was tasked with completing the review by December 10, 2025.

November 28, 2025: Article Alleges Hegseth Ordered Killing of Strike Survivors

On November 28, 2025, The Washington Post published an article alleging that Pete Hegseth had ordered the killing of survivors from a September 2, 2025, strike led by SEAL Team 6. Hegseth's explanations for the strike have varied, and legal experts have characterized his alleged orders as potential murder and war crimes.

December 10, 2025: Deadline for Review of Senator Kelly's Misconduct Allegations

December 10, 2025, marked the deadline for Secretary of the Navy John Phelan to complete the review of misconduct allegations against Senator Kelly, as ordered by Pete Hegseth.

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, who was also notified of Retirement Grade Determination Proceedings. Kelly had no right to appeal.

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.

February 2026: Grand Jury Declines Indictment Against Kelly; Federal Judge Issues Injunction

In February 2026, a grand jury declined to indict Kelly in connection with a video. A federal judge subsequently issued a temporary injunction against Pete Hegseth's proposed actions regarding Kelly's rank and pension, citing concerns about free speech under the First Amendment.

February 2026: DoD Invites Defense Contractors to Worship Services

In February 2026, the Department of Defense began sending out invitations to defense contractors for the monthly worship services being held at the Pentagon, raising concerns of discrimination.

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.

March 2026: Hegseth Promotes 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 Part of God's Plan

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

March 2026: Pentagon Reportedly Bans Photographers from Briefings

In March 2026, the Pentagon, allegedly at Pete Hegseth's urging, reportedly began banning photographers from press briefings due to "unflattering" photos of the secretary. The Pentagon claimed it was to use space effectively and that photos were released online. However, news outlets reported that Pentagon staffers said Hegseth disliked some published photos.

2026: Criticism as Secretary of Defense

In 2026, during his tenure as Secretary of Defense, Hegseth faced criticism for various actions, including issues related to a leaked government group chat, alleged war crimes, promoting Christianity in the military, and the use of force in the 2026 Iran war.