PH
Pete Hegseth
RepublicanSecretary of Defense| Age | 46 (b. 1980-06-06) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2025-01-20 (~1 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White (Norwegian American descent) |
| Religion | Christian; member of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), Reformed evangelical tradition; attends a CREC member church near Nashville, Tennessee. Raised Baptist (baptized in middle school); family background was Norwegian-American Lutheran. |
| Education | B.A. in Politics, Princeton University (2003); Master of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School (2013) |
| Prior occupation | Television host and political commentator (Fox News contributor 2014-2024; co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend 2017-2024); previously executive/president of veterans advocacy nonprofits (Vets for Freedom; Concerned Veterans for America); author; began career as an equity-markets analyst at Bear Stearns |
| Military service | Yes: U.S. Army / Army National Guard (Minnesota and District of Columbia Army National Guard) (Major) |
| Birthplace | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Marital status | Married (to Jennifer Rauchet since 2019) — Jennifer Rauchet |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Tennessee (suburb near Nashville); the family relocated to Tennessee in 2022 |
Pending research: languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| Leadership | 29th United States Secretary of Defense (since January 25, 2025) |
| Ideology | Conservative Republican. Former Fox News host; politically aligned with the populist/MAGA wing of the Republican Party. Never held elected office (sought but did not win the 2012 Minnesota GOP U.S. Senate endorsement and withdrew). |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $3,000,000–$4,000,000 (2024) · estimate
| Bitcoin | other · $15,001–$50,000 · 2024 |
| Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) | fund · $380,000–$850,000 · 2024 |
| Baltimore rental property | real_estate · 2024 |
| Primary residence (Tennessee) | real_estate · 2024 |
| Bank/deposit accounts | other · $67,000 · 2024 |
| Lockheed Martin (LMT) stock | stock · $1,001–$15,000 · 2024 |
| Northrop Grumman (NOC) stock | stock · $1,001–$15,000 · 2024 |
| Apple (AAPL) stock | stock · $1,001–$50,000 · 2024 |
| Amazon (AMZN) stock | stock · $1,001–$50,000 · 2024 |
| Alphabet (GOOGL) stock | stock · $1,001–$50,000 · 2024 |
| Microsoft (MSFT) stock | stock · $1,001–$50,000 · 2024 |
| Oracle (ORCL) stock | stock · $1,001–$50,000 · 2024 |
Scandals & crimes ledger
settled — Civil lawsuit and settlement over 2015 'Fox & Friends' axe-throwing injury (Prosperie v. Hegseth)
During a live June 14, 2015 'Fox & Friends' segment, Hegseth threw an axe that missed its target and struck West Point Band drummer Jeff Prosperie. In June 2018, Prosperie filed a personal-injury/negligence lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court naming Hegseth, Fox News and 'Fox & Friends,' alleging the defendants were 'negligent, wanton, reckless and careless.' The matter was settled/resolved in 2019 with terms not disclosed. This is a civil settlement; no criminal charges were involved. Category recorded as criminal-other only because no closer civil-injury category exists in the schema.
settled — Civil Settlement — 2017 Sexual Assault Allegation (Monterey, CA)
A woman reported to Monterey police that Hegseth sexually assaulted her in a hotel room in the early morning hours of October 8, 2017, after a California Federation of Republican Women conference. She alleged he blocked her from leaving and took her phone. The DA declined charges in January 2018 for lack of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. In December 2020, Hegseth paid the accuser $50,000 in a confidential civil settlement with a non-disclosure agreement; his attorney stated the payment was made to protect his Fox News employment and that Hegseth maintained the encounter was consensual.
closed — Pentagon Inspector General Finding — Violation of DoD Regulations (Signalgate)
The Pentagon's Inspector General completed an investigation into Hegseth's use of the Signal messaging app to share details of planned U.S. military strikes in Yemen. Released December 4, 2025, the report found Hegseth violated DoD policy by using a personal device for sensitive official business, that the information shared had been marked 'secret,' and that his actions created a risk to operational security that could have resulted in failed mission objectives and harm to U.S. pilots. The IG also found he failed to retain the messages as federally required records. The IG did not refer the matter for criminal prosecution.