Pete Hegseth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pete Hegseth
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Hegseth in 2021
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| 29th United States Secretary of Defense | |
| Assumed office January 25, 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Steve Feinberg (nominee) |
| Preceded by | Lloyd Austin |
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| Born |
Peter Brian Hegseth
June 6, 1980 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
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| Children | 7 |
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| Rank | Major |
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Peter Brian Hegseth ( born June 6, 1980) is an American author, television presenter, and Army veteran who is currently serving as the 29th United States secretary of defense since January 25, 2025, in the second administration of President Donald Trump.
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Early life and education
Hegseth was born on June 6, 1980, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Brian, a basketball coach, and Penny Hegseth. He was raised in nearby Forest Lake and is of Norwegian descent on both sides of the family. He attended Forest Lake Area High School, where he played football and basketball, graduating in 1999 as valedictorian of his class.
Hegseth went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts in politics at Princeton University in 2003. His senior thesis was titled Modern Presidential Rhetoric and the Cold War Context, advised by Patrick Deneen.
While there, he wrote for The Princeton Tory magazine, the conservative student newspaper of Princeton University, and became its publisher.
Hegseth also played basketball for the Tigers under coach John Thompson III. Their team made the NCAA tournament in 2001.
While at Princeton, Hegseth joined the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps in 2001.
Career
After graduating from Princeton University, Hegseth began his career working as an analyst for Bear Stearns. From 2003 to 2014 and again from 2019 to 2021, he served as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard, attaining the rank of Major. He received the Bronze Star while serving in the special operations forces during a combat deployment to Iraq in 2005. In 2014, he voluntarily deployed to Afghanistan to train the Afghan security forces. Following his military service, Hegseth became an active figure in conservative and Republican politics and was the executive director of Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. Since 2014, he has been a political commentator for Fox News and was a weekend co-host of Fox & Friends from 2017 to 2024.
In 2016, Hegseth emerged as a supporter of Donald Trump's presidential candidacy, and he served as an occasional advisor to Trump throughout the latter's first term as president.
Hegseth holds strongly conservative views, and has been described as a Christian nationalist. He has written books including American Crusade (2020) and The War on Warriors (2024).
Upon the re-election of Donald Trump in 2024, Hegseth was nominated to serve as secretary of defense in Trump's second administration. He was confirmed by the Senate in a 51–50 vote on January 24, 2025, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. He is the second-youngest person to hold this position, after Donald Rumsfeld. He was sworn in on January 25.
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Secretary of Defense (2025–present)
On November 12, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he intended to nominate Hegseth to serve as the next U.S. secretary of defense. Hegseth ended his deal with Fox News that month so he could take the position.
On January 24, the Senate voted 50-50 for his nomination. Vice President JD Vance broke the tie, voting in favor of his nomination. Hegseth is only the second cabinet nominee in U.S. history, after Betsy DeVos, to be confirmed with a vice president's tiebreak.
On January 25, Vice President JD Vance swore Hegseth into office as the 29th secretary of defense. He is the first Minnesotan to hold the position. During his initial message to the military, Hegseth emphasized "restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and re-establishing deterrence" while working with allies and partners to "deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific by Communist China, as well as supporting the president's priority to end wars responsibly and reorient to key threats".
Personal life
In 2004, Hegseth married his first wife, Meredith Schwarz; they divorced in 2009. In 2010 he married his second wife, Samantha Deering; they have three sons.
In August 2017, while still married to Samantha, Hegseth's daughter Gwen was born to Fox executive producer Jennifer Rauchet. In September 2017, Samantha filed for divorce, which took 10 months to finalize. Hegseth and Rauchet, who has three young children from her first marriage, married on August 16, 2019.
List of awards and decorations
Hegseth was decorated for his service in Iraq and Afghanistan. His military decorations and awards include:
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| Badge | Combat Infantryman Badge w/ Star | ||
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| 1st row | Bronze Star Medal w/ one Oak Leaf Cluster | Joint Service Commendation Medal | Army Commendation Medal w/ one Oak Leaf Cluster |
| 2nd row | National Defense Service Medal | Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ 2 service stars | Iraq Campaign Medal w/ 2 service stars |
| 3rd row | Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Armed Forces Reserve Medal |
| 4th row | Army Service Ribbon | Overseas Service Ribbon | NATO Medal |
See also
In Spanish: Pete Hegseth para niños
