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Pete Hegseth | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2025 | |
| 29th United States Secretary of Defense | |
| Assumed office January 25, 2025 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Steve Feinberg |
| Preceded by | Lloyd Austin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Peter Brian Hegseth June 6, 1980 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 4[1] |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Official website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service |
|
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American author, former television presenter, and former Army National Guard officer who has been the 29th United States secretary of defense since 2025.
Hegseth studied politics at Princeton University, where he was the publisher of The Princeton Tory, a conservative student newspaper. In 2003, he was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard, serving at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Hegseth worked for several organizations after leaving Iraq, including as an executive director at Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. He became a contributor for Fox News in 2014. Hegseth served as an advisor to President Donald Trump after supporting his campaign in 2016. From 2017 to 2024, Hegseth was a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend. He has written several books, including American Crusade (2020) and The War on Warriors (2024).
In November 2024, President-elect Trump named Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense. In a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing held days before Trump's second inauguration, Hegseth faced allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement, and alcohol issues. Hegseth was confirmed by the Senate that month, with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote. It was only the second time in U.S. history that a Cabinet nominee's confirmation was decided by a vice president (following Betsy DeVos during the first Trump administration in 2017). Hegseth is the second-youngest secretary of defense after Donald Rumsfeld and the first Minnesotan to hold the position.