Who is Pete Hegseth?
Hegseth, 44, grew up in Minnesota and graduated from Princeton University in 2003. He served in the Army National Guard in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay and retired in 2021 at the rank of major, having earned two Bronze Stars for his service.
Hegseth has authored a number of books and went on to lead two veterans advocacy organizations. He received a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University.
He was a contributor on Fox News beginning in 2014, and took up co-hosting duties on the weekend edition of “Fox and Friends” in 2017.
Trump, upon selecting Hegseth for the top post at the Pentagon, called him a “Warrior for the Troops,” adding that “Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First.” Trump allies have billed Hegseth as a leader with a focus on lethality and first-hand combat experience who can move the Pentagon away from so-called “woke” personnel policies pursued under the Biden administration.
Hegseth married Fox News producer Jennifer Rauchet in 2019, following divorces in 2009 and 2017. He has four biological children and is a stepfather to three children.
The defense secretary pick has faced cascading scrutiny regarding his personal life, his level of experience and controversial stances, including that women should not serve combat roles in the U.S. military.
What is Pete Hegseth accused of?
Hegseth has faced intense scrutiny over an alleged sexual assault, along with allegations of excessive drinking and financial mismanagement of a veterans organizations. Hegseth has denied the allegations.
Shortly after Trump announced his pick in November, an attorney for Hegseth acknowledged that he had secretly paid a financial settlement to a woman who had accused him of sexually assaulting her at a Republican women’s banquet at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey, California, in 2017.
A police report released in November in response to public records requests detailed the incident, where the alleged victim, an unnamed woman, told police that Hegseth sexually assaulted her. The woman said that Hegseth took her phone, blocked the door to a hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to the investigative report. Hegseth told police the interaction was consensual and claimed he checked multiple times to make sure the woman was comfortable with the encounter.
Hegseth has also drawn criticism for allegations surrounding his exit from Concerned Veterans of America, leaving the organization amid allegations of financial mismanagement, repeated incidents of intoxication and sexual impropriety.
Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee are expected to hammer Hegseth over the allegations during Tuesday’s hearing, while Hegseth looks to reassure a handful of Republicans who have expressed concern about the allegations as they weigh his confirmation.
