The U.S. defense secretary faced questions about his views on female soldiers at his confirmation hearing in mid-January 2025.

The secretary of defense has been accused of alcohol abuse and various forms of misconduct — allegations he has denied.

Vice President Vance cast a tie-breaking vote as Hegseth overcame allegations of sexual assault, public drunkenness and questions of financial mismanagement to win Senate approval.

A Princeton and Harvard-educated former combat veteran, Hegseth went on to make a career at Fox News, where he hosted a weekend show. Trump tapped him as the defense secretary to lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.

In a video statement, Hegseth said the helicopter was flown by a "fairly experienced crew" doing a "required annual night evaluation" at the moment of the crash. Hegseth added that the crew was wearing night-vision goggles.

Hollywood history 29-year-old with a $700,000 net worth shares 5 money habits she avoids—one is like flushing money 'down the toilet' Historic asteroid sample reveals the ‘building blocks of life are in fact extraterrestrial in origin,