History of Pete Hegseth in Timeline
Pete Hegseth is an American television host, author, and military officer. He served as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard and has been involved with several veteran advocacy groups, including Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. Hegseth is known for his conservative political commentary, primarily delivered on Fox News where he has been a contributor since 2014. He also co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend from 2017 to 2024, and has been nominated by Donald Trump for United States Secretary of Defense in Trump's second cabinet.
June 6, 1980: Pete Hegseth Born
Pete Hegseth was born on June 6, 1980.
1999: High School Graduation
Hegseth graduated as valedictorian from Forest Lake Area High School in 1999.
2001: Princeton Basketball in NCAA Tournament
In 2001, Hegseth's Princeton basketball team participated in the NCAA tournament, losing to North Carolina in the first round.
2003: Joins Bear Stearns and National Guard
After graduating from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth joined Bear Stearns and was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota National Guard.
2003: Graduates from Princeton
Hegseth earned a BA in politics from Princeton University in 2003.
2004: Serves at Guantanamo Bay
In 2004, Hegseth's unit was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, where he served as a platoon leader.
2007: Joins Vets For Freedom
Hegseth became the executive director of Vets For Freedom in 2007.
2009: Divorces Meredith Schwarz
Pete Hegseth divorced his first wife, Meredith Schwarz, in 2009.
2010: Marries Samantha Deering
Pete Hegseth married his second wife, Samantha Deering, in 2010. They have three children together.
May 2012: Withdraws from Senate Race
Hegseth withdrew from the Minnesota U.S. Senate race in May 2012.
2012: Deploys to Afghanistan
Hegseth was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 as a senior counterinsurgency instructor.
2012: Forms MN PAC
Hegseth founded the political action committee MN PAC in 2012.
2012: Leaves Vets For Freedom
Hegseth left Vets for Freedom in 2012.
2013: Earns Master's Degree from Harvard
Hegseth obtained a Master of Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in 2013.
2014: Joins Fox News
Hegseth joined Fox News as a contributor in 2014.
2014: Joins Fox News
Pete Hegseth became a contributor at Fox News in 2014.
May 2015: Brother Hired at CVA
While Hegseth led Concerned Veterans for America, his brother Philip was hired in May 2015.
June 14, 2015: Axe Incident
On June 14, 2015, Hegseth accidentally struck a West Point drummer with an axe during a live TV segment.
2015: Leaves Concerned Veterans for America
Hegseth left Concerned Veterans for America in 2015.
2015: Promoted to Major (Potentially)
Hegseth may have been promoted to Major and assigned to the Army Individual Ready Reserve by 2015.
2016: Supports Trump Candidacy
In 2016, Hegseth became a vocal supporter of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and served as an occasional advisor during Trump's first term.
2016: Philip Hegseth's Salary Reported (2016)
Philip Hegseth's salary at Concerned Veterans for America was reported in tax records from 2016.
2016: Promoted to Major (Potentially)
Hegseth may have been promoted to Major and assigned to the Army Individual Ready Reserve by 2016.
2016: Supports Trump in Presidential Election
During the 2016 Republican primaries, Hegseth initially backed other candidates before ultimately supporting Donald Trump.
August 2017: Has Child with Jennifer Rauchet and Divorces Samantha Deering
In August 2017, while still married to Samantha Deering, Pete Hegseth had a daughter with Fox executive producer Jennifer Rauchet, with whom he had an extramarital affair. Consequently, Hegseth and Deering divorced.
2017: Considered for VA Secretary
Before David Shulkin's selection, Hegseth was considered to lead the Department of Veteran Affairs in 2017.
2017: Co-hosts Fox & Friends Weekend
Hegseth began co-hosting Fox & Friends Weekend in 2017.
2017: Writes Foreword for "The Case Against the Establishment"
In 2017, Pete Hegseth wrote the foreword to "The Case Against the Establishment" by Nick Adams and Dave Erickson.
2017: Philip Hegseth's Salary Reported (2017)
Philip Hegseth's salary at Concerned Veterans for America was reported in tax records from 2017.
March 2018: MN PAC Account Closed
As of March 2018, Hegseth's MN PAC political action committee's account was closed.
May 2018: Mocks New York Times Coverage
In May 2018, Pete Hegseth publicly mocked The New York Times for supposedly not covering the capture of five ISIS leaders, even though the newspaper had already published a report on the event.
December 2018: Co-hosts All-American New Year
In December 2018, Hegseth co-hosted Fox News Channel's All-American New Year program.
2018: Speaks at Arutz Sheva and Young Israel Gala
Hegseth spoke at the 2018 Arutz Sheva conference in Jerusalem and the National Council of Young Israel gala in New York City.
May 2019: Advocates for War Crime Pardons
Reports surfaced in May 2019 that Pete Hegseth had been lobbying President Trump for months to pardon several US military members accused of war crimes. Hegseth discussed these cases on Fox News without disclosing his involvement.
August 2019: Criticizes Climate Change Education
During August 2019, Pete Hegseth criticized universities for teaching students about environmentalism and climate change, which he considered less of a threat compared to Islamic extremism. He also expressed his concern over "young kids voting" who were worried about climate change.
August 2019: Marries Jennifer Rauchet
Pete Hegseth married Jennifer Rauchet in August 2019. Rauchet has three children from a previous marriage.
November 2019: Trump Pardons Service Members
In November 2019, President Trump pardoned three service members accused or convicted of war crimes, shortly after Hegseth hinted at "imminent action" on the cases.
January 2020: Supports Soleimani Killing and Advocates for Bombing Iran
In January 2020, Pete Hegseth voiced strong support for President Trump's decision to kill Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and urged further action, suggesting bombing Iran, including cultural sites if they housed weapons.
February 2020: Accuses Democrats of "Rooting" for Coronavirus Spread
In February 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading across the United States, Hegseth accused Democrats of "rooting for coronavirus to spread" and hoping the situation would worsen.
2020: Volunteers for Inaugural Security
In 2020, Hegseth volunteered for duty protecting President Biden's inauguration.
January 20, 2021: Removed from Biden Inauguration Security
Hegseth volunteered for security detail at Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021, but was removed due to alleged ties to right-wing groups or extremist views. Hegseth claimed it was due to a Jerusalem Cross tattoo.
2021: Appears on Unfiltered with Dan Bongino
Hegseth became a regular guest on Unfiltered with Dan Bongino in 2021.
June 2022: Symbolically Returns Harvard Diploma
In June 2022, Pete Hegseth symbolically defaced and returned his Harvard diploma on a Fox & Friends Weekend segment as a protest against the university's embrace of critical theory and its influence on students.
2022: Suggests Omicron Variant was Fabricated
Pete Hegseth suggested in 2022 that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was a fabrication by Democrats to aid them in the midterm elections.
November 2024: Nominated for Secretary of Defense
In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. Hegseth's contract with Fox News concluded that month to pave the way for this potential appointment.
November 2024: Nominated for Secretary of Defense
President-elect Trump announced his intention to nominate Hegseth for Secretary of Defense in November 2024.
2024: Leaves Fox & Friends Weekend
Hegseth stopped co-hosting Fox & Friends Weekend in 2024.