Self-styled “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth has found himself increasingly isolated at the Pentagon and has begun bringing his wife to work with him, a new report says.
Hegseth, who was grilled by Congress this week over the eye-wateringly expensive and opaquely executed war in Iran, has engaged in a series of high-profile firings at the top of the military, drawing the ire of both Democrats and Republicans, and leaving him short-staffed at the top.
He appears to be filling the gaps with his third wife, Jennifer Rauchet, a former Fox News producer, who has been spotted around the office, The Guardian reported.
Pete Hegseth is reportedly keeping his wife Jennifer close at work. Pete Hegseth/Instagram
“Pentagon staff have been surprised to see him accompanied to official meetings by his wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer who frequently sits at the back during such encounters,” the report said.
Hegseth’s younger brother Phil was appointed as a senior adviser in March 2025, and has been by his brother’s side ever since.
Phil’s official title, when he was appointed, was senior adviser to the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and liaison officer to the Defense Department, a Pentagon spokeswoman told the Associated Press.
The younger Hegseth brother has previously worked for right-wing think tank The Hudson Institute, which still has his biography on their website.
Phil has a B.A. in journalism and communications from the University of St. Thomas, and held communications roles at Florida non-profit Better Together and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a defense-focused think tank.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is not the first time the Hegseth brothers have worked together. Newsweek reported that during Pete’s time as CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, “the organization paid Phil $108,000 for media consulting, according to tax records.”
Much of Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon purge has been focused on eliminating what he claims are DEI hires. His crusade has claimed the head of the Navy, the Chief Army Chaplain and the Army Chief of Staff, among others.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George was reportedly axed for refusing to obey Hegseth’s instruction to strike four officers—two Black men and two women—from a list of prospective promotions.
Hegseth and Rauchet met when they were working together at Fox News, at the time both married to other people.
In early 2025, Rauchet was included in a Signal group chat with Hegseth and others in which sensitive information was shared. She was also criticized for attending official meetings despite having no formal role.