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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing scrutiny after reportedly bringing his wife, Jennifer Rauchet Hegseth, to meetings with foreign military officials where sensitive information was discussed, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing multiple sources.
Hegseth also came under fire for allegedly sharing details of a military strike on Yemen’s Houthi rebels in an encrypted Signal app group. Adding to concerns, The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief was mistakenly included in this group, raising alarms about security breaches.
Jennifer Rauchet Hegseth’s Role and Background
Jennifer Rauchet Hegseth, a former Fox News producer, has long been associated with her husband’s career. The couple married in 2019 at the Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, New Jersey. Prior to their marriage, Rauchet worked as a producer on Fox & Friends, a show that Pete Hegseth began co-hosting in 2017.
In the 2020 book Hoax by former CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter, a Fox News executive alleged that Rauchet had “favored Pete with airtime.”
Hegseth and Rauchet share a seven-year-old daughter, and both have three children from previous relationships.
Jennifer Rauchet Hegseth at Pentagon Meeting Raises Questions
Rauchet Hegseth attended a high-level Pentagon meeting on March 6 with UK Secretary of Defence John Healey. This meeting occurred just a day after the U.S. announced it had ceased sharing military intelligence with Ukraine. The discussion, which included Admiral Tony Radakin, the head of the UK’s armed forces, focused on the implications of this decision.
Her presence at such a sensitive meeting has raised questions about access to classified information and the appropriateness of a non-government official being involved in defense discussions.
Public Displays of Support
Rauchet Hegseth has publicly supported her husband, particularly amid controversies. In January, she posted a photo on Instagram from his swearing-in ceremony, expressing her pride and faith in the administration.
“I’m so proud of my husband and—like you—am excited to see all that’s to come for our nation under this president and his well-chosen leaders. It’s a new chapter and God is the author—he writes the most beautiful stories,” she wrote.
She also accompanied Hegseth on an international trip last month, meeting with military members, spouses, and families across Europe. On Valentine’s Day, Hegseth posted on Instagram, praising his “incredible wife” for standing by his side during the trip.
Defending Hegseth Amid Allegations
During Hegseth’s Senate confirmation process, he faced sexual assault allegations. Rauchet Hegseth staunchly defended him, suggesting that the allegations were politically motivated.
“They won’t stop with Pete. It’s not him they’re after. It’s your values. We won’t back down,” she wrote on Instagram.
Hegseth was previously married to Meredith Schwarz in 2004. The couple divorced in 2008 before he later married Samantha Hegseth, with whom he also shares children. Rauchet is his third wife.
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