Peter Brian Hegseth is an American television presenter, author, and Army National Guard officer. He has served as the United States secretary of defense since January 2025.
June 6, 1980: Peter Hegseth Born
On June 6, 1980, Peter Brian Hegseth was born. He would later become a television presenter, author, and Army National Guard officer.
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1999: High School Valedictorian
In 1999, Hegseth graduated as valedictorian from Forest Lake Area High School.
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2001: Criticism of Halle Berry
In 2001, editors of The Princeton Tory criticized Halle Berry for accepting the Academy Award for Best Actress.
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April 2002: Defense of Western Civilization
In April 2002, Hegseth, as publisher of The Princeton Tory, declared his intention to "defend the pillars of Western civilization against the distractions of diversity."
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June 2003: Commissioned as Second Lieutenant
In June 2003, after graduating from Princeton, Hegseth was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army through the university's Reserve Officers' Training Corps program.
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2003: Commissioned as Infantry Officer
In 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard and served at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base before deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.
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2004: Basic Training at Fort Benning
In 2004, Hegseth completed his basic training at Fort Benning (later renamed Fort Moore) in Columbus, Georgia.
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August 2006: Started at Manhattan Institute
In August 2006, Hegseth began working at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.
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May 2007: Appeared at McCain Fundraiser
In May 2007, Hegseth appeared at a presidential campaign fundraiser for Arizona senator John McCain.
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2008: Vets for Freedom Supported McCain
In 2008, Vets for Freedom, under Hegseth's leadership, began supporting John McCain's presidential campaign.
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January 2009: Unpaid Bills at Vets for Freedom
By January 2009, Vets for Freedom had accrued hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills, leading to an internal campaign to oust Hegseth.
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November 2009: Supported Additional Forces in Afghanistan
In November 2009, Pete Hegseth supported sending additional forces into Afghanistan during the War in Afghanistan.
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2009: Enrolled at Harvard Kennedy School
In 2009, Hegseth enrolled in the Harvard Kennedy School, but only completed one semester.
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2011: Removed from Leadership
By 2011, Hegseth was removed from leadership after the group merged with Military Families United.
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2011: Enlisted in Minnesota Army National Guard as Captain
In 2011, Hegseth enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard as a captain.
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February 2012: Entered Republican Primary
In February 2012, Hegseth decided to enter the Republican primary for the United States Senate election in Minnesota.
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June 2014: Became Fox News Contributor
By June 2014, Hegseth had become a regular contributor to Fox News.
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2014: Promoted to Major
After completing his tour in 2014, Hegseth was promoted to major and enlisted in the Individual Ready Reserve.
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2014: Criticized Obama for Veterans Controversy
In 2014, Concerned Veterans of America, where Hegseth worked, criticized Obama for the Veterans Health Administration controversy.
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2014: Fox News Contributor
In 2014, Hegseth became a contributor for Fox News, marking a significant step in his media career.
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June 2015: Axe-Throwing Incident
In June 2015, Hegseth threw an axe during a Flag Day event, accidentally hitting a drummer from the United States Military Academy.
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January 2016: Left Concerned Veterans for America
In January 2016, Hegseth left Concerned Veterans for America following issues related to mismanagement and alcoholism.
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2016: Supported Trump's Campaign
In 2016, Hegseth initially supported Donald Trump's campaign and later served as an advisor to the President.
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2016: Brief Host on TheBlaze
In 2016, Hegseth was briefly a host on TheBlaze before regularly hosting Fox & Friends Weekend.
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January 2017: Official Co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend
In January 2017, Hegseth became an official co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend.
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2017: Co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend
From 2017 to 2024, Hegseth co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend, establishing himself as a prominent television personality.
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2017: Cabinet Nominee Confirmation Decided by VP
In 2017, Hegseth's Senate Committee on Armed Services committee confirmation was decided by Vice President JD Vance.
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March 2018: Sought Veterans Affairs Position
In March 2018, after Shulkin fell out of favor, Hegseth positioned himself as a potential candidate for secretary of veterans affairs.
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October 2018: Trump Cited Hegseth on Migrant Caravan
In October 2018, Trump cited a comment that Hegseth had made on Fox & Friends about "unknown Middle Easterners" infiltrating a migrant caravan, though Hegseth admitted he hadn't verified the statement.
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2018: Hosted All-American New Year
In 2018, Hegseth hosted All-American New Year with Lisa Kennedy.
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June 2019: Joined D.C. Army National Guard
In June 2019, Hegseth joined the District of Columbia Army National Guard as a traditional drilling service member.
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August 2019: Trump Repeated Claims on Video Games and Mass Shootings
In August 2019, Trump repeated claims that Hegseth had made correlating video games with mass shootings after mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton.
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2019: Hosted Battle in the Holy Land
In 2019, Hegseth hosted the series "Battle in the Holy Land" and the special "Battle in Bethlehem" on Fox Nation.
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2019: Father's Retirement
In 2019, Hegseth's father, Brian, retired from his career as a basketball coach for high schools across Minnesota.
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May 2020: Comments on Chinese Government
In May 2020, Pete Hegseth stated the "communist Chinese" want to "end our civilization".
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2020: Authored American Crusade
In 2020, Hegseth authored the book "American Crusade", adding to his credentials as an author.
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2020: Favored with Airtime
In 2020, a Fox News executive said that Jennifer Rauchet was favoring Pete with airtime.
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March 2021: Barred from Duty at Biden Inauguration
In March 2021, Hegseth was barred from serving on duty at the inauguration of Joe Biden after being flagged as an "insider threat".
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2022: Hosted The Miseducation of America
In 2022, Hegseth hosted "The Miseducation of America" on Fox Nation, criticizing "the Left's educational agenda".
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2022: Protested Critical Race Theory at Harvard
In 2022, Hegseth protested the offering of classes in critical race theory at Harvard University by sending back his degree.
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2023: Hosted The Miseducation of America
In 2023, Hegseth hosted "The Miseducation of America" on Fox Nation, criticizing "the Left's educational agenda".
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January 2024: Resigned from Individual Ready Reserve
In January 2024, Hegseth resigned from the Individual Ready Reserve.
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November 12, 2024: Nominated for Secretary of Defense
On November 12, 2024, Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense after Tom Cotton declined. Hegseth ended his contract with Fox News. The selection was seen as Trump appointing a loyalist and his lack of experience surprised the Department of Defense.
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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.
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November 2024: Sexual Assault Allegation Reported
In November 2024, Vanity Fair reported that Pete Hegseth allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in October 2017. The Monterey Police Department investigated two incidents of sexual assault, but Hegseth was not charged.
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November 2024: Nominee for Secretary of Defense
In November 2024, president-elect Trump nominated Hegseth as his choice for secretary of defense.
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December 2024: Labeled a Christian Nationalist
In December 2024, The New York Times wrote that Pete Hegseth was a self-avowed Christian nationalist.
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January 2025: Appointed Secretary of Defense
In January 2025, Peter Hegseth started serving as the United States Secretary of Defense.
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