Pete Hegseth's controversial rise as US defense secretary
Mar 18th 2026
Appointed by Donald Trump in 2025, Pete Hegseth has combined blunt pro-war rhetoric and personnel changes with past controversies over conduct and ideology, prompting legal and political scrutiny.
- Trump appointed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense in 2025 after a Senate tie broken by Vice President JD Vance.
- Hegseth has used aggressive rhetoric, including calling rules of engagement stupid and saying no quarter and no mercy, comments legal experts say could amount to war crimes if issued as orders and acted on.
- He denies issuing a kill order in past strikes on suspected smuggling boats, while an admiral testified he ordered a follow-up strike that killed survivors.
- Observers say Hegseth has moved to reshape the military, including dismissals and demotions of long-serving generals and efforts to reduce diversity initiatives.
- Hegseth left the National Guard Reserve in 2024 after colleagues reported him as a possible extremist, and he settled a 2017 sexual assault allegation out of court which he has described as consensual misconduct.