Pete Hegseth BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.

Pete Hegseth has been making headlines throughout the past week as he settles into his role as Secretary of Defense, though the Pentagon now carries the additional title of Department of War under the Trump administration. The former Fox News host had an embarrassing moment in the Oval Office on Monday when he stumbled over the department's new secondary name, starting to say "DOD" before correcting himself to "DOW, the Department of War," which drew chuckles from the room and prompted President Trump to joke about being glad he made the correction.

The name change controversy has sparked criticism online, with people mocking the rebranding and questioning the costs of changing letterheads and signage. However, the Department of Defense retains its official name since an act of Congress would be required for a formal renaming.

More seriously, Hegseth has been dealing with the fallout from the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Kirk was shot in the neck in what police called a targeted attack while discussing transgender shooters with a crowd. Tyler Robinson, 22, was identified as the suspected shooter after a 33-hour manhunt that concluded Friday. Hegseth warned that the DoW is tracking all civilian and military employees' social media comments that celebrate or mock Kirk's assassination, calling such behavior completely unacceptable. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the department has zero tolerance for personnel celebrating the assassination of a fellow American.

On the policy front, Hegseth announced new grooming standards requiring troops with medical shaving waivers to receive treatment and resolve their conditions within a year or face involuntary separation. This follows his push for a clean-shaven military and represents a continuation of grooming standard reviews launched in March.

In international affairs, Hegseth held his first call with Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun on September 9th, delivering a stern warning about US interests in the Asia-Pacific while emphasizing that America doesn't seek conflict with China. This call came after China's military parade where President Xi showcased regional alliances with North Korea and Russia.

Hegseth also gave his first interview as War Secretary to Fox News, promising to crush narco-terrorism and protect the homeland from cartel activities, marking a significant shift toward offensive operations against drug trafficking organizations.

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