Peter Brian Hegseth (/ˈhɛɡsɛθ/; born June 6, 1980) is an American author, former television host, and Army veteran who is serving as the 29th United States secretary of defense since January 25, 2025, in the second administration of President Donald Trump.

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.

Hegseth was considered to lead the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in the first Trump administration, but David Shulkin was tapped instead.

[12] In 2014, Hegseth was promoted to the rank of major and left active duty to be assigned to the Army Individual Ready Reserve (IRR).

[2] Hegseth was one of 12 national guardsmen flagged as a potential insider threat and removed from the group providing security for the 2021 presidential inauguration of Joe Biden.

On January 14, 2021, a fellow Guard member who was the unit's security manager and on an anti-terrorism team sent an email to the unit's leaders notifying them of a tattoo on Hegseth's biceps reading "Deus Vult", a phrase the security manager determined was associated with the Crusades and, in the 21st century, with white supremacists who use it to invoke the idea of a white Christian medieval past.

[2] Hegseth has said that his National Guard superiors removed him because of his Jerusalem cross tattoo,[26] a Christian symbol which they determined was connected to extremism.

According to his LinkedIn page, Hegseth left the conservative think tank in 2007 to work as executive director at Vets For Freedom (VFF).

A 2009 forensic accountant report by creditors led to Hegseth admitting that the organization was about half a million dollars in debt.

VFF's backers decided to merge its core functions with another veterans group, Military Families United, and reduce Hegseth's role.

[30] An APM Reports analysis found that while Hegseth ran the MN PAC political action committee, one-third of its $15,000 in funds were spent on Christmas parties for families and friends.

[36][12] Concerned Veterans for America subsequently hired his brother Philip to work for the non-profit and paid him $108,000, according to tax records from 2016 and 2017.

Asked about it, Hegseth's lawyer said that Philip, a May 2015 university graduate, was qualified for the media relations job, and noted that there was no prohibition against private entities hiring family members.

[30] In a whistleblower report, former CVA employees said Pete Hegseth was frequently heavily intoxicated during official events to the point of having to be restrained, passing out, and shouting slogans calling for the death of all Muslims.

[12] Hegseth was considered to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs in the first Trump administration, but was rejected in favor of David Shulkin in 2017.

[37][38] In May 2019, it was reported that Trump was considering pardoning several US military service members who had been convicted of committing war crimes, including Eddie Gallagher, a veteran set to stand trial for allegedly shooting indiscriminately at civilians, hitting a girl and an elderly man,[39] as well as fatally stabbing a captured teenage Islamic State (ISIS) member while he was receiving medical treatment.

[59] Democratic senator Tammy Duckworth said, "It's frankly an insult and really troubling that Mr. Trump would nominate someone who has admitted that he's paid off a victim who has claimed rape allegations against him ...

[66] During the hearing, Hegseth denied allegations of sexual assault, marital infidelity, and public drunkenness by saying that these were "false claims" and said that "he had been redeemed by his 'Lord and Savior' for his failings in life.

The affidavit also raises additional questions about the thoroughness of his FBI background check during a rushed confirmation process.On January 24, the Senate voted 50–50 for his nomination.

"[85][86][87] Following the 2025 Potomac River mid-air collision, Hegseth responded on X with "Prayers for all involved"[88] and ordered an immediate investigation into the cause of the accident.

[89][90] In a video posted by his department on X, Hegseth said the helicopter was performing "an annual proficiency training flight", that its crew was "fairly experienced", and that they were equipped with night vision goggles.

[97] In his book, American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free, Hegseth said he believes there are "irreconcilable differences between the Left and the Right in America leading to perpetual conflict that cannot be resolved through the political process".

"[98] Hegseth has explicitly rejected democracy in his book, equating it to a leftist demand; he has also expressed support for election-rigging through gerrymandering to "screw Democrats".

Hegseth has said that victory for America includes the end of globalism, socialism, secularism, environmentalism, Islamism, genderism and leftism, the last of which he refers to as a "false religion" and "specter" that views non-believers as "infidels".

Hegseth believes Americans must build a border wall, raise tariffs, learn English and "fight back".

[109][12][110] In November 2024, Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Hegseth, later said his client "felt that he was the victim of blackmail and innocent collateral damage" and paid only because he feared for his career.

[111] The allegations, police report, and non-disclosure agreement came to public notice in November 2024, after Trump announced his intention to nominate Hegseth as U.S. defense secretary.

[110] In 2004, Hegseth married his first wife, Meredith Schwarz, who was his high school girlfriend from Minnesota; they divorced in 2009 after he admitted to five affairs.

[119] Penelope Hegseth told the Times she had written it "in anger, with emotion" and had "immediately apologized in a separate email," adding that her previous characterization had "never been true.

[120][122][123] Hegseth has several tattoos, among them a Jerusalem cross on his chest and one reading "Deus Vult", a Latin phrase meaning "God wills it", on his bicep.