Pete Hegseth

Pete Hegseth
Hegseth in 2021
United States Secretary of Defense Presumptive nominee
Assuming office TBD
Appointed by	Donald Trump
Succeeding	Lloyd Austin
Personal details
Born	Peter Brian Hegseth (1980-06-06) June 6, 1980 (age 44) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Meredith Schwarz ​ ​ (m. 2004; div. 2009)​ Samantha Deering ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2017)​ Jennifer Rauchet ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	7
Education	Princeton University (BA) Harvard University (MPP)
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	2003–2014, 2019–2021
Rank	Major
Unit	Minnesota Army National Guard
Battles/wars	Iraq War War in Afghanistan
Awards	Bronze Star Medal Army Commendation Medal (2) Combat Infantryman Badge

Peter Brian Hegseth (/ˈhɛɡsɛθ/; born June 6, 1980) is an American television presenter, author, and former Army National Guard officer who has been announced as the forthcoming nominee for United States Secretary of Defense in Donald Trump's second cabinet. A political commentator for Fox News since 2014 and weekend co-host of Fox & Friends from 2017 to 2024, he was previously the executive director of Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America.

Hegseth has been active in conservative and Republican politics since his undergraduate days at Princeton University. In 2016, he 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 was considered to lead the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in the first Trump administration, but David Shulkin was tapped instead. On November 12, 2024, President-elect Trump nominated Hegseth to serve as Secretary of Defense.