Beyond being a Fox News host, just exactly who is Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense?
Trump nominated the “Fox & Friends” weekend host Tuesday to join his administration as Defense Secretary, which would put him in charge of the world’s fiercest military force. With an incoming Republican Senate majority, Hegseth is a good bet to be confirmed.
The President-elect had previously considered Hegseth for the position of Secretary of Veterans Affairs during his first presidency, but went with David Jonathon Shulkin. While Hegseth served in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge, he doesn’t have any senior military or national security experience.
But what is Hegseth’s background in the military and politics – and what else has he accomplished since? Here’s a rundown of all things Pete Hegseth:
What’s Pete Hegseth’s background?
Hegseth served as the CEO of Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) from 2012-2015. During that time, he grew the organization into the “largest conservative Veterans advocacy organization in America and led the charge for real reform at the Department of Veterans Affairs.” He joined the organization after serving as the executive director of Vets For Freedom from 2007-2010.
In 2018, Hegseth’s time at CVA was marked by mild controversy after the organization hired his brother Philip and paid him $108,000. The job was Philip’s first after graduating from the University of St. Thomas, and he left the position three months after his brother.
What was Hegseth’s Military Record?
The Fox News host has a distinguished military career as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard from 2003 to 2014. His time includes tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hegseth also oversaw detainee operations at Guantanamo Bay in 2004, and was deployed to Iraq from 2005-2006, where he served as an infantry platoon leader and civil operations officer. He returned to active duty in 2012 in Afghanistan, where he deployed with the Minnesota Army National Guard, acting as a senior counterinsurgency instructor in Kabul.
Hegseth’s many commendations included a Combat Infantryman Badge and two Bronze Stars, one of the highest military honors, bestowed for live-combat valor.
Where did Hegseth go to school?
He is a 2003 graduate of Princeton and a 2013 graduate of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he studied Public Policy.
Does Pete Hegseth have a past in politics?
Yes, somewhat. He launched a bid for Minnesota’s U.S. Senate seat in 2012, but ultimately dropped out of the race after he failed to become the party’s nominee. Hegseth joined Fox News two years later. Though he was initially a critic of Trump and an open supporter of Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, he shifted toward team Trump in 2016.
What about Pete Hegseth’s personal life?
Hegseth “has worked years to cultivate himself as rock-ribbed, conservative volunteering for combat, advocating for veterans and speaking publicly and writing about family values.” He also allegedly had two affairs in two marriages; his second wife filed for divorce a month before his child with another woman was born. He married his third wife in 2019.
What else should I know about Pete Hegseth?
He’s against women in military combat roles
During an appearance on “The Shawn Ryan Show” podcast last week, Hegseth said women shouldn’t be in combat roles in the military.
“Everything about men and women serving together makes the situation more complicated, and complication in combat, means casualties are worse,” Hegseth said at the time. “I’m straight up just saying that we should not have women in combat roles — it hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal.”
He’s an author
Hegseth has written a number of books, including “Battle for the American Mind,” “The War on Warriors,” “Modern Warriors” and more.
He’s asked Trump to pardon U.S. service members who have been accused of war crimes
In 2019, Hegseth pushed for Trump to pardon U.S. soldiers who’d been accused of war crimes, urging for their freedom during segments on Fox News and on social media. That same year, Trump pardoned two soldiers who allegedly murdered and/or were suspected of being involved in the killings of Afghans.
He was sued after striking an Army sergeant with an ax
In 2015, Hegseth went viral after he participated in an axe-throwing segment intended to celebrate Flag Day and the U.S. Army’s 240th anniversary during a live broadcast of “Fox & Friends.” He missed the wooden target and struck a U.S. Army master sergeant in the arm. The soldier sued, but the lawsuit was dropped in 2019.
