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Pete Hegseth
61 quotes
“I inoculate myself. Germs are not a real thing. I can't see them, therefore they're not real.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On Fox and Friends (February 10, 2019), as cited in "'Germs are not a real thing': Fox News host says he hasn't washed hands in 10 years", The Guardian (February 11, 2019)
“Said during a Senate hearing before becoming Secretary of Defense:”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“So this is the biggest deployment of my life, and there won't be a drop of alcohol on my lips while I'm doing it.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“About a bombing raid against Iran:”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This book is dedicated to the real 1 percent: the warriors- past, present and future- who answered freedom's call.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“On 9/11 I was a college student. Those attacks on New York City, the Pentagon, and in the skies reoriented the trajectory of my life- and the lives of an entire generation.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In an odd way, this rise of ISIS, followed by their defeat, crystallized even further the need to tell the long, winding, conflicted, and utterly courageous stories of the men who have been fighting since 9/11. Did we win? Did we lose? Was it worth it? The legacy of warriors is worthy of elevation- a reflection of what we should really value.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We all come at the subject of education- of "school"- with our own backgrounds. The Left calls this concept "implicit bias." They cynically apply it to race and gender, but it's very true when it comes to schooling. The goal of this book has been to challenge our long-held assumptions- our biases- about what we think is good for kids, and good for this country.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Without the grace of Jesus Christ, and of many others, I would not be here today. Our kids need Christ. We all need Christ. Without a grace-filled life with conviction, children cannot thrive- something I desperately want for my kids. The church, the school, and the family must be dedicated to the reality of God's grace alone, and each child's faith alone. The call to discipleship begins with faith, but this is where classical Christian education picks up. That faith can be made stronger when wisdom and virtue are cultivated.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We've heard it before: get married, have lots of kids, and raise them in Christian homes. To that I add this: never let them set foot in progressive government schools. Break the cycle! Instead, join a movement- an insurgency- that contributes to something that will outlast your life. In an upside-down world, classical Christian education is the only comprehensive educational model that can restore our Western Christian Paideia, and give our kids at least a fighting chance to save America and Christendom. Join the insurgency! And then spread the word.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Using my platform to share my Christian faith is the most valuable use of my time and resources.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I’ve got a bunch of kids and realize the only thing that matters is introducing them to Jesus Christ.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Truly inviting [Jesus] into my heart—to command my life—has been edifying and liberating.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The power of prayer is real. Parents plant seeds that may take a while to sprout and grow, but God uses it all to make us into who we are. I’m so grateful to belong to God and be His servant.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Godlessness ends great nations. The one thing we can all do is get on our knees and pray”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) first seen 2023 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Pete Hegseth: Faith, Family, Freedom, and the American Mind" Nashville Christian Family (December 30, 2023)
“About being characterized as a 'serial cheater':”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You don’t need any more explanations of why our enemies hate us. We can all turn on MSNBC if we want to hear that. We need more reminders that America is good, young American men can be brave, and that there’s a damn good reason why people flee their shithole countries to reach our shores.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Unlike our enemies, we don’t fight because we hate what’s in front of us, we fight because we love what’s behind us.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Our military men and women take an oath that is very similar to the oaths taken by every branch of government and every civil servant. The oath is as follows . . .”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“FOX News alert: I am pro-Trump. Everybody knew that before I joined the DC National Guard, and didn’t have a problem with it. In fact, most of my fellow soldiers—even in DC—felt the same way. Frankly, so did most of the military—especially combat arms. President Trump was, and is, beloved by warfighters. He funded them, untied their hands, didn’t use them unnecessarily, and let them win.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We waited, in darkness.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Saint Augustine wrote in the classic City of God, over four hundred years after Christ’s death:”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Jus ad bellum, established in the UN Charter after World War II, lays out the conditions under which states may resort to war. It’s how you go to war justly. Once the firing starts, modern countries are directed to follow the “laws of war,” referred to as Jus in bello. This is how you fight war justly. It was supposed to be a global remedy—a rulebook—to end senseless violence.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“World War I was so brutal, so unabashed, there was a clamoring for some formally imposed restrictions on what countries could do to each other. The Geneva Conventions became a Jus in bello international law of sorts. Limiting the barbarity of conflict between nations. Guaranteeing that a military force would wear a uniform. Honor a chain of command. The conventions post–World War I established what would happen if you surrendered on the battlefield. The conventions signed at Geneva were to make humane what was never thought of to be humane: warfare.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If our warriors are forced to follow rules arbitrarily and asked to sacrifice more lives so that international tribunals feel better about themselves, aren’t we just better off winning our wars according to our own rules?! Who cares what other countries think. The question we have to ask ourselves is, if we are forced to fight, are we going to fight to win? Or will we fight to make leftists feel good—which means not wining [sic] and fighting forever.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Why should America, the European “emergency contact number” for the past century, listen to self-righteous and impotent nations asking us to honor outdated and one-sided defense arrangements they no longer live up to? Maybe if NATO countries actually ponied up for their own defense—but they don’t. They just yell about the rules while gutting their militaries and yelling at America for help.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“History regards the Greatest Generation not for their poetry, artistic endeavors, or their culinary brilliance. That title was bestowed because they were two-time world war champions. They were great because they understood they were at war and that the consequence for losing the war was annihilation. They killed the enemy. Sometimes in ways that would offend modern sensibilities. Two nuclear bombs ended a war that could have dragged on for years, costing millions more American lives. They won. Who cares.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“For decades, the United States opposed any international-law presumption that “persons or objects in combat zones are civilians.” Especially in modern times, the battlefield is complex—and the enemy uses that against us. They never want to fight us toe to toe; civilians are central to their strategy.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When you send Americans to war, their mandate should be to lethally dominate the battlefield. If that makes you uneasy, keep us at home.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But if we’re going to send our boys to fight—and it should be boys—we need to unleash them to win. They need them to be the most ruthless. The most uncompromising. The most overwhelmingly lethal as they can be. We must break the enemy’s will. Our troops will make mistakes, and when they do, they should get the overwhelming benefit of the doubt.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And one more thing . . . the next president should also change the name of the Department of Defense back to the War Department. Sure, our military defends us. And in a perfect world it exists to deter threats and preserve peace. But ultimately its job is to conduct war. We either win or lose wars. And we have warriors, not “defenders.” Bringing back the War Department may remind a few people in Washington, DC, what the military is supposed to do, and do well.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When we lose sight of the fact that the primary responsibility of the president of the United States is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, then everything else falls apart.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To that end, you are blessed to have been born in the greatest country in human history. You have all studied history, extensively. There have been kingdoms, empires, tyrants, and tribes over thousands of years—but none like America.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But we only got this far because men and women—but mostly men—were willing to fight for that freedom, with their “lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It’s up to you to decide if service to country is still worth it.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Even with those questions—and even with all the uncertainty—I hope you join the ranks of American fighting men. I encourage you to serve, asking yourself this simple question: If not me, then who? If not Gunner, Jackson, Boone, Luke, or Rex Hegseth—who is going to protect America? Are you going to rely on other men, or on women, who have other worldviews to fill the ranks?”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Pete has a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and (used to have) a master’s degree from Harvard University—but he mailed it back, because Harvard is a leftist indoctrination camp.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We're going to go on offense, not just on defense, maximum lethality, not tepid legality, violent effect, not politically correct.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) first seen 2025 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Trump’s throwback to ‘Department of War’ signals a retreat from modern world into past glory" Independent (September 5, 2025)
“It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon leading commands around the country and the world. [...] It all starts with physical fitness and appearance. If the secretary of War can do regular, hard PT [physical training], so can every member of our joint force. [...] Today, at my direction, every member of the joint force, at every rank, is required to take a PT test twice a year, as well as meet height and weight requirements twice a year, every year of service.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) first seen 2025 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Hegseth declares war on ‘fat’ generals, troops" The Hill (September 30, 2025)
“We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it. Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their ayatollah and his death cult. It took the 47th president, a fighter who always puts America first, to finally draw the line after 47 years of Iranian belligerence. He reminded the world, as he has time and time again, being an American means something unbreakable. If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on Earth, we will hunt you down without apology and without hesitation and we will kill you.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) first seen 2026 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Pentagon Press Briefing (March 2, 2026)
“At the War Department, we see ourselves as the Strength Department. But we also need to remember that we derive our strength through faith, and through truth, and through the word of God.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) first seen 2026 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Holy War? Under Trump, the line between religion and the military has been erased" Ali Velshi and Amel Ahmed, published on MS Now (March 9, 2026)
“This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be, death and destruction from the sky, all day long.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) first seen 2026 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: ‘Punching them while they’re down’: US & Israel bomb Iran’s schools & hospitals, with ‘no stupid rules of engagement’. Geopolitical Economy Report, March 8, 2026.
“The world, the Middle East, our ungrateful allies in Europe, even segments of our own press should be saying one thing to President Trump: Thank you.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) first seen 2026 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Hegseth: World Should Say ‘Thank You’ to Trump for Disastrous War" Intelligencer (March 19, 2026)
“Their missile program is functionally destroyed. Launchers, production facilities, and existing stockpiles depleted and decimated, and almost completely ineffective.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) first seen 2026 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Claimed on April 8, 2026, quoted in "Democratic Senator Gets Hegseth to Acknowledge Iran Still ‘Has Capabilities’ After Saying Their Military Was Destroyed" Mediaite (July 21, 2026)
“Our troops, our American warriors, deserve the credit for this day, but God deserves all the glory. Tens of thousands of sorties, refuelings, and strikes, carried out under the protection of divine providence. A massive effort with miraculous protection. Dude 44 bravo spoke for all of us: God is good.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) first seen 2026 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: ‘God deserves all the glory’: Hegseth sparks controversy with faith-based message" MS Now (April 9, 2026)
“It was out of all these moments that the idea for Modern Warriors rose. While politicians and media can whitewash a conflict, the legacy always remains for those who fought there. The warriors who left their families, friends, and comfort to do the dirty work of their country. We need to tell those stories. And then veterans come home, with hopes and dreams- and scars of war. They struggle to transition to civilian life; many are wounded (seen and unseen); many wrestle with post-traumatic stress; suicide was taking more lives than the battlefield ever did. We cannot allow ourselves to look away, to shrug, and say that's just the way it is.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“By their nature, these veterans are straight talkers. And they have strong, informed opinions. In the company of one another, keeping it in the family, they pull no punches. They share their stories for the benefit, as well as yours. They share a desire to step beyond the boundaries of their immediate military families- to include you. Each of the chapters in this book highlights an individual modern warrior who has agreed to share experiences and insights. The good, the bad, the weird, the beautiful, the ugly- the real story in their own words, from the interviews I conducted with them. I only interject as necessary for clarity and to make transitions smoother.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I'm privileged to call many of these warriors friends. These are great Americans. They are heroes- even if they reject that title. Working on this venture with them has made me even more proud to be an American- which I didn't know was possible. These men and women are true patriots and true warriors. Like those before them, some may have joined the military for a cause or for the college money, but that soon became secondary to the brotherhood of war. When the bullets start flying, there are no Republicans or Democrats, whites or blacks- only brothers, the greatest of our men and women. This book is dedicated to everyone who has answered America's call. Who put it all on the line- and especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on the altar of freedom. We never, ever forget them. Warriors forever, in life and death. May their stories live forever.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But it's not just schools. Do yourself a favor and visit your local Barnes & Noble bookstore. Check out the kids section, and notice what books are front and center. The last time I visited mine, of the forty children's books displayed, at least thirty were progressive, agenda-driven books. This bookstore was not in a "liberal" community- this was in a conservative area. Books by or about Michelle Obama, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Kamala Harris were all front and center. There was A Is for Activist and multiple books about George Floyd and Black Lives Matter. Gender and sexuality were well represented, not to be outdone by at least five books about climate change and the environment. It is nearly impossible, without really digging, to find books that contain patriotic, Christian, or conservative themes.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“During the writing of this book, America's two-decade war in Afghanistan came to an inglorious end. After thousands of lives lost, and trillions of dollars spent, the Islamist Taliban are back in charge. It's a humbling, if illuminating, reality. Like most Americans, I was eager for "the folks who knocked those buildings down, to hear all of us soon," as President George W. Bush said atop the rubble of the World Trade Center in 2001. American military might quickly toppled the Taliban, and Al Qaeda scurried into Pakistan. What followed was a nineteen-year experiment in Afghanistan, during which I had a front-row seat.”
Pete Hegseth (born 1980) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source