Pete Hegseth is the U.S. Defense Secretary under President Donald Trump. He was sworn in to serve the Trump administration’s second term by Vice President JD Vance on Jan. 25, 2025.
Hegseth is a Minnesota native and graduated from Princeton University in 2003. He earned his master’s degree from Harvard University ten years later.
Hegseth spent several years in the U.S. Army National Guard where he was part of several active-duty deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hegseth’s service in the National Guard earned him many accolades including two Bronze Star Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) and the Joint Commendation Medal.
The former Fox News host has authored several books over the years, including “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” which was released in 2024.