Secretary of Defense

Pete Hegseth

Responsibilities

The Honorable Pete Hegseth was sworn in as the 29th Secretary of Defense on January 25, 2025. In his role as head of the Department of Defense, Hegseth will advise the president on defense policy and oversee the DoD and its annual budget of approximately $857 billion and roughly 3 million service members and civilians.

Stated Priorities

Reduce bureaucracy and re-allocate resources to the warfighter.
Bring a “warrior culture” to the department and end Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
Reform the acquisition process, and prioritize resources to reorient to larger threats.
Modernize the nuclear triad.
Incentivize competition and revive strategic initiatives on multiple systems.
Leverage innovation from Silicon Valley and rapidly field emerging technologies.
Focus on deterrence, including defending homeland, borders, and air space.
Advance the defense industrial collaboration between Australia and the U.S., and strengthen the bilateral alliance.
Work with partners and allies to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.
Support the state of Israel and its “existential defense.”
Maintain high physical standards when employing women in combat.

Policy Quote

“…when President Trump chose me for this position, the primary charge he gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense. He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on lethality, meritocracy, warfighting, accountability and readiness.”

Military Service

Served in the Army National Guard (2002-2021), attaining the rank of major.
Deployed overseas three times to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, where he worked as a counterinsurgency instructor during the withdrawal of U.S. troops, earning two Bronze Stars across those deployments..
Voluntarily left the military in 2021 following speculation over the iconography of one of his tattoos, prompting his removal from former President Biden’s inauguration security detail. Nearly a dozen National Guard soldiers were also prevented from serving at the event in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Business and Public Service Career

Upon graduating from Princeton University in 2003, Hegseth worked as an analyst for the Wall Street investment firm Bear Stearns. His career plans changed when his Army Reserve unit was deployed to Guantanamo Bay (Cuba). Following active duty, Hegseth worked for two veterans advocacy groups:

Executive director of Veterans For Freedom (2007-2011). Founded in 2006 by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the organization later merged with Military Families United.
CEO of Concerned Veterans for America (2012 to 2015).
Made an unsuccessful bid for the Senate in 2012, challenging Democrat Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota).
Joined Fox News as a contributor in 2014, hosting multiple series on national security, military affairs and major political events.
Known as a conservative commentator, Hegseth has authored five books, one of which made the New York Times best-sellers list in 2022.

Background

Early Years

Born in Minneapolis, MN, on June 6, 1980, to Brian Hegseth, a basketball coach, and his wife Penelope, an executive business coach. Considered to be both sports-minded and academic, Hegseth grew up in Forest Lake, graduating from the area high school as valedictorian in 1999.

Education

B.S. in political science from Princeton University (2003). Joined the Army ROTC and made a reputation for himself within the school’s conservative circles. Publisher of The Princeton Tory, a conservative, student-run paper.
Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard (2013), a diploma he would later vow to return, citing a clash in ideologies.

Affiliations/Awards

Served on the Veterans Advisory Council of United Against Nuclear Iran.
Earned two Bronze Star Medals, the Joint Commendation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Expert Infantryman Badge.

Personal

The 44-year-old Hegseth lives on a farm in Middle Tennessee, along with his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, a journalist and media producer for Fox News. Between them, they have seven children.