Summary of Pete Hegseth:
• Former Vets for Freedom executive director
• Served in the US Army National Guard, earning various medals and awards
• Worked as Executive Director of Vets for Freedom and CEO of Concerned Veterans for America
• Political analyst for Fox News and other networks
• Net worth of $3 million as of 2019
Contents
Who is Pete Hegseth?
Pete is an American politician as well as a journalist, who is probably best known for being the former Vets for Freedom executive director.
Pete Hegseth Age, Early Life, Family, and Educational Background
He was born Peter Brian Hegseth under the Gemini Zodiac sign, on 8 June 1980, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Penelope and Brian Hegseth, making him 39 years old in 2019. He was raised alongside his brother Phillip Hegseth, and is an American by nationality and his ethnicity North American. His early schooling was in Forest Lake High School located in the Forest Lake area where he grew up. Later, he joined Princeton University for his higher education, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2003 – he was an editor for a student-run publication at the university.
In 2013, he completed his Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University.
Pete Hegseth Professional Career and Rise to Stardom
After graduating, he became an equity market analyst for Bear Steams, before being commissioned into the US Army National Guard as a reserve infantry officer in 2004. In the military, Pete served in various stations, including Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, where he acted as the senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul. As platoon leader, he won an Army Commendation medal, the Bronze Star medal, Infantry Badge, as well as a second Army Commendation for work with several networks. In Samarra, Hegseth was a civil-military operations officer.
Hegseth’s interest in the military did not end with his active service. Afterwards, Pete worked as the Executive Director of Vets for Freedom and even CEO of Concerned Veterans for America. In these groups, he advocated for a more significant troop presence in Iraq and greater privatization of Veteran Affairs in CVA, undertaking these roles up to 2012. Under the Trump administration, he was considered to head the US Department of Veterans Affairs, but objections from major veteran groups led to him getting dropped in favor of David Shulkin. Pete also had a brief stint at the Manhattan Institute of Policy Research in 2007.
Later, he ventured into politics and a media career. Pete’s entry into politics saw him vie for the senate in the Minnesota Republican party’s nomination. He lost to Kurt Bills, but his participation in politics gave him greater visibility and popularity. Among the people Pete supported in the 2016 Republican primaries was Donald Trump.
For being successful in the military and politics, Hegseth became sought after by many media houses. This launched his foray into the media business, and he’s now considered a senior political analyst, particularly on military matters.
Hegseth joined Fox News in 2014 as a contributor, where he quickly established himself as an informed personality on policy matters. On the Fox Channel he co-hosted the “Fox and Friends” Weekend TV Program. Pete has also made appearances on CNN, MSNBC, and the Fox News Channel. His life in media has come with some slight controversies. There was an incident where he hit a drummer on the elbow with an axe – he was supposed to hit a wooden target, but his aim was off target.
He was also criticized for his interview with President Donald Trump in September 2017, in which Hegseth allowed the president to make false claims without challenging him; this confirmed his pro-Trump stand at the expense of balanced journalism.
Hegseth has also been on record for attacks on the media, such as his criticism of the New York Times for not highlighting the story of the capture of five ISIS leaders. He also attacked the investigation that was led by special counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 elections.
Hegseth has written editorials for several publications, including The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal as well as The Washington Post. His book ‘In The Arena, Good Citizens, Great Republic and How One Speech Can Reinvigorate America’, was published in 2016 to great acclaim. It is essentially a call to arms to Americans to reclaim their country’s greatness.
Pete Hegseth Personal Life, Marriages, and Children
On success in relationships, Hegseth has had mixed fortunes. His first marriage was to Meredith Schwarz in 2004, which ended in divorce after five years, and without any children.
He married his second wife, Samantha, and the two seemed to have a happy relationship as they brought up their three sons. However, the marriage faced problems when Hegseth was reported to be having an extramarital affair with Fox Executive Producer, Jennifer Cummingham Rauchet. This union resulted in a daughter, and also Hegseth’s second divorce after seven years with his second wife. He is currently engaged to Jennifer, to whom he proposed and gave an engagement ring in June 2019.
The names of his four children are sons, Gunner, Boone, and Rex, as well as daughter, Gwen. The boys attend Liberty Classical Academy in Minnesota.
Pete Hegseth Net Worth
Hegseth has made a fortune from his career in the media, his stint in the military, and his book. He is believed to make at least $250,000 annually as a contributor to Fox Channel. Reputable sources estimate Pete Hegseth’s net worth to be around $3 million as of 2019.
