History of Pete Hegseth in Timeline
Pete Hegseth is an American author, former television presenter, and former Army National Guard officer. He is described as currently serving as the 29th United States Secretary of Defense since January 2025.
June 6, 1980: Peter Brian Hegseth Born
On June 6, 1980, Peter Brian Hegseth was born. He later became an author, television presenter, and Army National Guard officer, eventually serving as the 29th United States secretary of defense.
1999: Enrolled at Princeton University
In 1999, Hegseth enrolled at Princeton University to major in politics, choosing it over the United States Military Academy.
1999: Graduated from Forest Lake Area High School
In 1999, Hegseth graduated as valedictorian from Forest Lake Area High School and was inducted into the hall of fame.
2001: Criticized Halle Berry's Academy Award win
In 2001, The Princeton Tory criticized Halle Berry for accepting the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Monster's Ball.
April 2002: Defended Western civilization pillars at The Princeton Tory
In April 2002, Hegseth, as publisher of The Princeton Tory, declared he would "defend the pillars of Western civilization against the distractions of diversity".
June 2003: Commissioned as Second Lieutenant
In June 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army after graduating from Princeton.
2004: Completed basic training at Fort Benning
In 2004, Hegseth completed his basic training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, and served at Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
August 2006: Began Working at Manhattan Institute
In August 2006, Hegseth began working at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.
May 2007: Appeared at McCain Fundraiser
In May 2007, Hegseth appeared at a presidential campaign fundraiser for Arizona senator John McCain.
December 2008: Meredith Schwarz filed for divorce
In December 2008, Meredith Schwarz filed for divorce from Pete Hegseth after he admitted to five affairs.
2008: Supported John McCain for President
In 2008, Vets for Freedom began supporting John McCain for president, and Hegseth criticized Barack Obama's policies.
January 2009: Accrued 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.
2009: Enrolled in Harvard Kennedy School
In 2009, Hegseth enrolled in the Harvard Kennedy School, completing one semester.
2011: Removed from leadership
By 2011, Hegseth was removed from leadership after Vets for Freedom merged with Military Families United.
2011: Commissioned into Minnesota Army National Guard as Captain
In 2011, Hegseth was commissioned into the Minnesota Army National Guard as a captain and volunteered to teach in Afghanistan.
February 2012: Entered Republican Primary for US Senate
In February 2012, Hegseth decided to enter the Republican primary for the United States Senate election in Minnesota.
June 2014: Became Regular Fox News Contributor
In June 2014, Hegseth became a regular contributor to Fox News.
2014: Criticized Obama for Veterans Health Administration Controversy
In 2014, Concerned Veterans of America criticized Obama for the Veterans Health Administration controversy.
2014: Became Fox News Contributor
In 2014, Hegseth began working as a contributor for Fox News.
2014: Promoted to Major
In 2014, after completing his tour in Afghanistan, Hegseth was promoted to major and enlisted in the Individual Ready Reserve.
June 2015: Axe-Throwing Incident During Flag Day Event
In June 2015, Hegseth threw an axe during a Flag Day event in New York City and accidentally hit a drummer, leading to a lawsuit.
January 2016: Left Concerned Veterans for America
In January 2016, Hegseth left Concerned Veterans for America following issues related to his management and alcoholism.
2016: Hosted on TheBlaze and Fox & Friends Weekend
In 2016, Hegseth briefly hosted on TheBlaze and then regularly hosted Fox & Friends Weekend.
2016: Supported Donald Trump's Campaign
In 2016, Hegseth supported Donald Trump's presidential campaign and subsequently became an advisor.
2016: Described Christian Faith
In 2016, Pete Hegseth described his Christian faith as initially "more out of diligent habit than deep conviction" in his book In the Arena.
2016: Publication of In the Arena
In 2016, Pete Hegseth published his memoir, In the Arena.
January 2017: Official Co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend
In January 2017, Hegseth became an official co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend.
October 2017: Sexual Assault Allegations at Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel
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, where he was scheduled to speak at a convention.
2017: Co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend
From 2017, Hegseth became a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend.
2017: Cabinet nominee confirmation decided by vice president
In 2017, Betsy DeVos's confirmation was decided by the vice president during the first Trump administration.
2017: Wrote Foreword to The Case against the Establishment
In 2017, Pete Hegseth wrote the foreword to The Case against the Establishment by Nick Adams and Dave Erickson.
January 2018: Monterey County Declines to File Charges
In January 2018, Monterey County district attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni declined to file charges against Hegseth due to insufficient proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
March 2018: Positioned himself as a potential candidate
In March 2018, after Shulkin fell out of favor with the Trump administration, Hegseth positioned himself as a potential candidate.
April 2018: Email from Hegseth's Mother
In April 2018, an email from Pete Hegseth's mother, Penny, accused him of mistreating women for years. Penny later apologized and defended her son.
October 2018: Trump Claims "Unknown Middle Easterners" Infiltrated Migrant Caravan
In October 2018, Trump claimed that "unknown Middle Easterners" had infiltrated a migrant caravan, apparently citing a comment made by Hegseth on Fox & Friends.
2018: Hosted All-American New Year
In 2018, Hegseth hosted All-American New Year with Lisa Kennedy.
2018: Religious Transformation
In 2018, Pete Hegseth experienced a religious transformation after he and his wife started attending Colts Neck Community Church.
June 2019: Joined District of Columbia Army National Guard
In June 2019, Hegseth joined the District of Columbia Army National Guard as a traditional drilling service member.
August 2019: Trump Repeated Claims Linking Video Games to Mass Shootings
In August 2019, Trump repeated claims made by Hegseth correlating video games with mass shootings after the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton.
2019: Hosted the special Battle in Bethlehem on Fox Nation
In 2019, Hegseth hosted the special Battle in Bethlehem on Fox Nation.
2019: Father Brian Retired
In 2019, Hegseth's father, Brian, retired from his career as a high school basketball coach.
2019: Settlement of Lawsuit
In 2019, the lawsuit filed against Hegseth due to the axe-throwing incident was resolved in an unspecified way.
May 2020: Release of American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free
In May 2020, Pete Hegseth released his book American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free.
2020: Authored 'American Crusade'
In 2020, Hegseth wrote the book "American Crusade".
2020: executive favored pete with airtime
In 2020, a Fox News executive in Hoax stated that Jennifer Rauchet favored Pete with airtime on Fox & Friends Weekend.
2020: Non-Disclosure Agreement
In 2020, it was reported that Hegseth had paid his accuser as part of a non-disclosure agreement after she threatened legal action.
March 2021: Barred from Duty at Biden Inauguration
In March 2021, Hegseth was barred from serving on duty at the inauguration of Joe Biden.
2022: Hosted 'The Miseducation of America' on Fox Nation
In 2022, Hegseth hosted "The Miseducation of America" on Fox Nation, criticizing "the Left's educational agenda".
2022: Protested Critical Race Theory at Harvard
In 2022, Hegseth protested the offering of classes in critical race theory at Harvard University by writing "Return to sender" on his degree and sending it back.
2022: Co-authors Battle for the American Mind
In 2022, Pete Hegseth co-authored Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation with David Goodwin.
2023: Hosted series Battle in the Holy Land and The Life of Jesus on Fox Nation
Hegseth hosted series Battle in the Holy Land and The Life of Jesus in 2023 on Fox Nation.
January 2024: Resigned from Individual Ready Reserve
In January 2024, Hegseth resigned from the Individual Ready Reserve, citing the incident at Biden's inauguration in his book "The War on Warriors".
June 2024: Publication of The War on Warriors
In June 2024, Pete Hegseth published his book The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.
November 12, 2024: Donald Trump named Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense
On November 12, 2024, Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense after Tom Cotton declined the position. Hegseth subsequently ended his contract with Fox News, a move seen as Trump seeking a loyalist, though his experience was questioned. A sexual assault allegation from seven years prior surfaced, but Trump defended Hegseth, despite concerns from Republican senators and reports of financial mismanagement and alcohol issues.
November 2024: Nominated for Secretary of Defense
In November 2024, President-elect Trump nominated Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense.
November 2024: The New York Times Obtains Email from Hegseth's Mother
In November 2024, The New York Times obtained an email from Penny Hegseth, Pete Hegseth's mother, from April 2018, accusing her son of mistreating women.
November 2024: Vanity Fair Report and Further Allegations
In November 2024, Vanity Fair reported the alleged sexual assault from 2017, detailing that Hegseth was investigated but not criminally charged. The report also mentioned a non-disclosure agreement and allegations of rape that were provided to Donald Trump's presidential transition team.
November 2024: Hegseth stated women should not serve in combat roles
In November 2024, during a podcast interview with Shawn Ryan, Pete Hegseth stated his opinion that women should not serve in combat roles.
2024: Authored 'The War on Warriors'
In 2024, Hegseth authored the book "The War on Warriors".
January 2025: Allegations from Wife's Sister
In January 2025, NBC News reported that Samantha's sister Danielle sent an affidavit alleging that Hegseth made his wife concerned for her safety.
January 2025: Appointed as 29th United States secretary of defense
In January 2025, Peter Brian Hegseth began his term as the 29th United States secretary of defense.
January 2025: Associated Press Reports $50,000 Payment
In January 2025, the Associated Press reported that Hegseth had paid the accuser US$50,000.
May 2025: Accusations of Plagiarism
In May 2025, The Daily Princetonian accused Hegseth of plagiarizing portions of his senior thesis.
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