Pete Hegseth

Today is our Sect, of Defense’s birthday!  This “biography” was found on Brittanica and some of the wording appears skewed—so take it with a grain of salt.

From Brittanica:

Pete Hegseth (born June 6, 1980, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.) is the U.S. secretary of defense (2025– ) in the Republican administration of Pres. Donald Trump. Hegseth was confirmed on January 24, 2025, following a 50–50 vote in the U.S. Senate that required U.S. Vice Pres. J.D. Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote, resulting in a 51–50 final tally. Hegseth was sworn into office on January 25.

Prior to becoming defense secretary, Hegseth was a TV personality who cohosted Fox & Friends Weekend from 2017 to 2024. While on the show he became known for his conservative views and was an outspoken supporter of Trump. Hegseth also served in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Education and National Guard

Hegseth grew up in Minnesota, and in 1999 he enrolled at Princeton University. There he played basketball, studied politics, and became a frequent contributor to The Princeton Tory, the school’s conservative newspaper. For a time he served as publisher, and he was responsible for articles that, as he wrote, “strive to defend the pillars of Western civilization against the distractions of diversity.” Among these pieces, which stirred controversy at Princeton, was an editorial he cowrote that declared that “the homosexual lifestyle is abnormal and immoral.”

In 2003 Hegseth graduated from Princeton and the school’s Army ROTC program. He then became a member of the Minnesota National Guard and later joined the Army National Guard, rising to the rank of major. Hegseth was deployed three times. After serving at Guantánamo Bay, he was a platoon leader in Iraq and later taught counterinsurgency tactics in Afghanistan. His various military honors include two Bronze Stars.

Senate run and Fox & Friends Weekend

In 2012 Hegseth ran to represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate as a Republican, but he dropped out before the party’s primary. Two years later he became a contributor to Fox News, and in 2017 he became cohost of Fox & Friends Weekend. In that post Hegseth frequently spoke of his support for President Trump. After Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, Hegseth promoted Trump’s unfounded claim of widespread voter fraud. In 2021 Hegseth was removed from the National Guard group that was to provide security for Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration. The reported issue was his Jerusalem cross tattoo, which he said was simply a Christian symbol, but officials noted that it is also used by Christian nationalists. His other tattoos include the words Deus Vult (Latin: “God wills it”), which was a battle cry during the Crusades and later appropriated by white supremacists. Hegseth left the National Guard later in 2021.

Defense secretary

Nomination and hearing

In 2024 Trump won a second presidential term, and he selected Hegseth as his nominee for defense secretary; the post requires Senate confirmation. The selection proved controversial, many citing Hegseth’s lack of experience managing large, complex organizations. The Department of Defense has some three million employees and has been called the biggest government bureaucracy in the world.

Hegseth’s confirmation hearing was held by the Senate Armed Services Committee in January 2025, and it was highly contentious at times. Democrats questioned him about accusations of personal misconduct, including excessive drinking and infidelity. While denying some allegations, Hegseth stated “I’m not a perfect person, but redemption is real. I have failed in things in my life, and thankfully I’m redeemed by my lord and savior Jesus.” Other topics included women serving in combat. While Hegseth had previously spoken out against the policy, he said that “women will have access to ground combat roles.” Republican committee members largely expressed support for his nomination, and Sen. Eric Schmitt from Missouri suggested that his lack of experience was an asset, stating that Hegseth is “a breath of fresh air.”

Confirmation

In the Senate confirmation vote on January 25, 2025, three Republicans voted not to approve him: Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski. That resulted in a 50–50 tie, which was broken by Vice Pres. J.D. Vance. Hegseth took office several hours after the vote. In the following days he stated that he would end DEI initiatives in the department and that he was committed to stopping immigration at the southern border. In February 2025 Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to cut the defense budget by 8 percent for each of the next five years. The money was to be used for other initiatives, including a proposed Iron Dome, an air defense system. Later that month he fired a number of top military officers, including Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to serve as the navy’s chief of naval operations. According to Hegseth, the moves were to allow for “new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars.”

SOURCE: BRITTANICA

Happy Birthday, Sir!