Pete Hegseth

'Must be held accountable': Trump admin. sued over deaths in boat strike off Venezuela's coast

The Center for Constitutional Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union filed the novel lawsuit under the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute.

Family members of Chad Joseph who believe Joseph was killed in a US military strike on a boat in the Caribbean, sit together as his family demands evidence to support US President Donald Trump’s claim that the victims were drug traffickers, in Las Cuevas, Trinidad and Tobago October 16, 2025.
This picture taken 26 December 2011 shows the Pentagon building in Washington, DC.

Pentagon's 2026 defense strategy names Israel a ‘model ally,’ shifts to ‘peace through strength’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (L) speak following a closed door Senate meeting on the US capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, and his wife Cilia Flores, January 7, 2026.

Rubio says US plan for Venezuela is stability, recovery, then transition

US President Donald Trump with US officials in the war room as the US conducts an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, 2026.

Trump's internal shifts in the US: How peace through strength restored global stability - opinion


Donald Trump’s contempt for logic could end in devastation for the United States - opinion

When the US president dismisses logic, the danger extends beyond politics to disaster for the world.

US President Donald Trump is seen at a meeting in the White House earlier this month. The president wants to be visibly anti-intellectual, the writer says.

US, Jordanian forces conduct joint strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria, Hegseth confirms

The attacks come after US President Donald Trump vowed to retaliate after an attack on US personnel last weekend in Syria by a suspected Islamic State terrorist.

US soldiers attached to the Iowa National Guard sign GBU-31 munitions systems in the US Central Command area of responsibility December 18, 2025 as the US military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on US personnel.

Israel needs to change its US strategy with Trump, Hegseth in charge - opinion

Unlike previous administrations, Donald Trump is willing – even eager – to reduce Israel’s dependence on the United States.

US DEFENSE SECRETARY Pete Hegseth speaks during the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, in December 2025.

Wiles says Trump has 'an alcoholic’s personality', claims Musk is microdosing, Vance conspiracist

Susie Wiles, Trump's campaign manager-turned chief of staff, made some less-than-flattering remarks about the president, JD Vance, and Pete Hegseth in a candid interview with 'Vanity Fair.'

U.S. President Donald Trump is reflected on the glasses of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles as he speaks to the media, before he departs en route to Norfolk, Virginia, October 5, 2025.

Silicon Valley-backed defense firms face growing pains after hot streak

Defense-tech companies face a bigger challenge: moving beyond research and prototype contracts to producing weapons at scale

The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, DC, US, March 3, 2022.

Hegseth says he would have ordered second strike on Caribbean vessel

"I fully support that strike," Hegseth said at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. "I would have made the same call myself."

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, US, December 6, 2025.

Did the US military commit a war crime in boat attack off Venezuela? - explainer

Members of Congress said they would investigate whether or not the US military broke the law during its strikes on a suspected drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean.

US President Donald Trump attends a cabinet meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, DC, US, December 2, 2025.

Democrats troubled by video of US strike on Caribbean drug boat, Republicans defend attack

The second strike, ordered by Admiral Frank Bradley, led some lawmakers to suggest that the US may have violated the law of war.

US Navy Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley walks in a hallway, as he departs a classified briefing for leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee on US strikes against Venezuelan boats suspected of smuggling drugs, on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 4, 2025.

New York Times sues Pentagon over press access

The Times challenges a Pentagon rule that could label reporters as security risks for seeking sensitive information.

People walk by The New York Times building in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 16, 2025.

Pentagon review faults Hegseth over Signal messages on Yemen strikes, sources say

Hegseth shared details on the imminent March 15 launch of attacks on Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi fighters with a group of security officials and accidentally included reporter Jeffrey Goldberg

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, after a meeting of NATO Defense Ministers at the Alliance headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium October 15, 2025.