Pete Hegseth

Secretary of Defense

U.S. Department of Defense

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Role

Secretary of Defense

Organization

U.S. Department of Defense

Born

June 6, 1980

Birthplace

Forest Lake, Minnesota

Gender

Not listed

Background

Pete Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer and Fox News host, was confirmed as defense secretary in January 2025 by a 51-50 vote with the vice president breaking the tie. He served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and previously led veterans' advocacy organizations. His confirmation was the narrowest for a defense secretary in history.

Biography: source

Latest statements

no official statements found

Confirmation

Confirmed, Senate vote 51-50, 2025-01-24.

Official accounts

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Profile compiled 2026-10-03. Congressional-only metrics are not applicable to executive and judicial officials.