Pete Hegseth

Timeline

1. 2019-11-20For-profit colleges enlisted Hegseth to press their policy case through his Trump accessProPublica reported the advocacy; compensation from the trade group was not disclosedTrump confidant who invoked access in for-profit-college advocacy · reported · 1 source
2. 2025-01-13Hegseth disclosed $4.6 million in Fox pay, $900,000 in speaking fees, and defense-stock holdingsNominee financial disclosure filed with the Office of Government EthicsTrump defense nominee's disclosed compensation and holdings · documented · 2 sources
   1. paymentFox News salary reported by Hegseth$4,602,340

      Paid by / source

      Fox News

      Received by

      Pete Hegseth

   2. feeSpeaking fees reported by Hegseth$900,000

      Fee payer / source

      Forty speaking-engagement hosts

      Fee recipient

      Pete Hegseth

3. 2025-01-25Trump's defense nominee won a 50–50 Senate vote with the vice president breaking the tieDefense secretary as of September 3, 2026Trump-selected defense secretary · documented · 3 sources
4. 2025-02-10Hegseth reverses Fort Liberty's name change, restoring Bragg with a different honoreeRenaming directed by memorandumdocumented · 3 sources
5. 2025-02-14DOGE entered the Pentagon while Musk companies held billions in defense workPentagon said DOGE personnel would review spending under department supervisionTrump-appointed defense secretary · documented · 1 source
6. 2025-03-09DOGE card controls paused protective-equipment purchases for troopsDefense offices sought exemptions for protective-equipment purchasesTrump-appointed defense secretary · documented · 1 source
7. 2025-03-09DOGE payment controls interrupted work recovering missing service members' remainsDefense offices sought workarounds to resume remains-recovery supportTrump-appointed defense secretary · documented · 1 source
8. 2025-03-15Pentagon watchdog found Hegseth used his personal phone and Signal for nonpublic strike detailsFinal inspector-general report issued December 2, 2025Trump Cabinet defense secretary in Signal inquiry · documented · 2 sources
9. 2025-04-22AP reported a second Hegseth Signal chat included his wife, brother, and personal lawyerReported; Hegseth disputed the characterizationTrump defense secretary in reported second Signal chat · reported · 2 sources
10. 2025-05-05Hegseth orders cuts to senior military officer positionsReduction directive issued; targets are not verified completed departuresdocumented · 2 sources
11. 2025-05-21Qatar supplied the luxury 747 Trump wanted as a replacement Air Force OneAircraft entered presidential service on July 1, 2026.had defense secretary accept aircraft for · documented · 1 source
    1. asset transferBoeing 747-8 donated by Qatar to the U.S. Defense Department for conversion and use as presidential transport; no valuation is stored because public figures are estimates and conversion costs are separate.Not quantified

       Transferred by / from

       State of Qatar

       Transferred to

       U.S. Department of Defense

12. 2025-05-23After leak turmoil, Hegseth closed long-open Pentagon areas to unescorted pressEscort restrictions announced for previously open Pentagon areasTrump defense secretary's Pentagon press-access restriction · documented · 1 source
13. 2025-06-27Navy removes Harvey Milk's name from a replenishment shipExisting ship renamed USNS Oscar V. Petersondocumented · 2 sources
14. 2025-07-14Pentagon awarded Musk's xAI a contract with a $200 million ceilingxAI joined three other frontier-model vendors under parallel ceiling awardsTrump-appointed defense secretary · documented · 1 source
    1. contractxAI Defense contract ceilingup to $200 million

       Awarded by

       U.S. Department of Defense

       Awarded to

       xAI

       Contract / case parties

       Defense programs and federal taxpayers

15. 2025-12-22Trump names a proposed battleship class for himself as Navy replaces its destroyer planNew class announced; not a renamed existing ship or completed vesseldocumented · 2 sources
16. 2026-03-30Hegseth's broker was reported to have sought a defense-sector ETF purchase before the Iran warPentagon denied the report March 30; senators requested records April 1president and selected defense secretary during the reported broker inquiry · documented · 1 source
17. 2026-06-29Hegseth appointed Pentagon advisers with investment links to Donald Trump Jr.'s venture fundAndreessen and Masters joined the Defense Policy Board on June 29, 2026president and defense secretary who approved the 2026 board membership · documented · 3 sources
18. 2026-08-06DOGE labeled a $3.75 billion Air Force contract-ceiling cut as savingsContract remained active after its ceiling fell from $12.5 billionTrump-appointed defense secretary · documented · 1 source
    1. otherAir Force contract ceiling reduction counted as savings$3.75 billion

       Reported source

       Unused maximum contract authority

       Reported recipient

       DOGE savings ledger

       Measured subject

       Taxpayers evaluating savings claims

19. 2026-08-06DOGE claimed $62.7 million on an Air Force IT contract; GAO found $21.6 million deobligatedGAO could not determine final savings after extension and follow-on workTrump-appointed defense secretary · documented · 1 source
    1. otherFunds deobligated from Air Force IT contract$21.6 million

       Observed source

       Air Force contract obligation

       Observed recipient

       Available agency funds

       Measured subject

       Air Force programs and federal taxpayers

20. 2026-08-06A $28 million DCSA savings claim was followed by a $27.4 million replacement awardReplacement contract with the same contractor remained part of GAO's net-savings caveatTrump-appointed defense secretary · documented · 1 source
    1. contractDCSA replacement award after claimed termination savings$27.4 million

       Awarded by

       Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency

       Awarded to

       Incumbent contractor

       Contract / case parties

       Defense mission budgets and federal taxpayers

21. 2026-08-06DOGE claimed more than $1.7 billion on a Defense Health IT contract with no recorded reductionGAO recorded zero savings and no terminating contract actionTrump-appointed defense secretary · documented · 1 source
    1. otherUnsupported DHA contract savings claimmore than $1.7 billion

       Reported source

       Defense health contract baseline

       Reported recipient

       DOGE savings ledger

       Measured subject

       Military health system users and taxpayers

22. 2026-09-02Driscoll departure leaves Army without Senate-confirmed civilian and uniformed chiefsHistorical leadership vacancy; acting secretary appointed September 3reported · 1 source
23. 2026-09-02Report: Hegseth removes at least six Army officers from a two-star promotion listReported removal from promotion list; individual motives not establishedreported · documented · 2 sources
24. 2026-09-15Massie gave notice of eight proposed impeachment articles against HegsethUnnumbered proposal remained pending without a House vote as of September 20Trump-appointed defense secretary named in Massie's proposed impeachment resolution · documented · 2 sources

    8 articlesProposed articles of impeachment

25. 2026-09-17Pentagon hosted Jake and Logan Paul for a tour and troop remarksDefense Department confirmed the visit; invitation rationale was not disclosedTrump-appointed defense secretary met the Paul brothers during a Pentagon visit · reported · 1 source