Everyone Got Pete Hegseth Wrong

A Foreign Policy column argues that Pete Hegseth, widely dismissed as underqualified when Trump nominated him for defense secretary, has become one of the most influential officials in the administration. The piece notes his confirmation hearings surfaced his firings from two veterans' organizations over financial mismanagement and other alleged misconduct, and that many in Washington expected him to be a figurehead.

Instead, outlets including the Washington Post and Bloomberg's editorial board have described Hegseth as an ascendant figure reshaping military recruiting, training and combat doctrine, with Bloomberg warning of generational damage to the institution. The column points to his early tenure moves, including installing a makeup studio near the Pentagon press room, as signs that were initially read as frivolous but preceded a broader consolidation of influence.

The author, who previously misjudged Trump's approach to Iran, frames this as a broader lesson about underestimating the administration's personnel choices.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.