Called a “human leash,” Jennifer Rauchet Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s wife, has found herself under scrutiny among federal officials, according to Daily Mail. 

Her constant presence by her husband’s side, in addition to her informal involvement in sensitive military matters, has earned her a secret nickname by Defense Department staffers. 

Now, as criticism of Hegseth’s Defense Department leadership intensifies, Rauchet is being dragged into the fray alongside her husband.

Jennifer Rauchet, a former Fox News producer, has become a fixture at top-level meetings and discussions

Image credits: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Image credits: U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Madelyn Keech

Insiders reveal that Pentagon officials have taken to calling Rauchet “Yoko Ono,” drawing a parallel to the late John Lennon’s wife, who was famously present during key Beatles meetings and rehearsals.

But their inseparable relationship isn’t new. As a former Fox News producer, she used to prep him for his on-air appearances.

Recently, her presence received even more attention after she was reportedly included in a group chat about a U.S. military strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. 

The only other non-governmental people looped into this info were government officials, Pete’s brother Phil, and his personal lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, who both hold official roles in the Defense Department. 

Rauchet’s participation in meetings goes beyond just text messages. She has also been seen sitting alongside her husband during discussions with high-level foreign officials. 

This has drawn complaints that her constant presence is unprecedented and unprofessional, CNN reports.

For instance, even before Hegseth’s official confirmation, she attended all of his meetings with Republican Senators. An aide told CNN: “She attended every single one of his meetings with Republican senators, which we’re not aware of any nominee for any nominated position doing.”

She has attended important and sensitive meetings, such as a discussion about Ukraine with Hegseth’s foreign counterparts at NATO in Brussels.

Another meeting was about the Trump administration’s decision to stop sharing military intelligence about Ukraine with the UK’s top two defense officials at the Pentagon. 

Sources have apparently told the Daily Mail that Jennifer Rauchet’s constant presence is aimed at supervising her husband’s sobriety and ensuring he stays faithful. 

Image credits: U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Madelyn Keech

Hegseth has a controversial past with infidelity in his previous marriages and alleged struggles with alcoholism. 

In 2017, he was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at a Republican women’s conference. Hegseth, who paid her $50,000 for non-disclosure, according to the AP, denies the allegations. 

Despite these claims, Rauchet has stood by her husband. She took to Instagram to ask her followers not to let “their lies” deter them from the Trump administration that they voted for.

“They won’t stop with Pete. It’s not him they’re after. It’s your values. We won’t back down,” she wrote. 

 

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Just in the past couple of months, Hegseth has faced a series of controversies.

Earlier this month, he reportedly shared sensitive details with two Signal groups: one with his wife and another with U.S. officials—to which The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added.

In a corresponding appearance on Fox News, he blamed the media for revealing the war plans.

Most recently, he came under scrutiny for allegedly ordering a $40,000 makeup room at the Pentagon.

Hegseth took to X to call the story “totally fake,” saying crassly, “We should have installed a tampon machine in the men’s bathroom at DoD instead. The leftist ‘news’ media would have loved that.” 

While U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly backed Hegseth and downplayed his involvement in the Signal scandal, NPR reported last week that the White House is looking for a new defense secretary.

Jennifer Rauchet used to be an executive producer at Fox News, where she also met Hegseth.

She holds a degree in journalism from Towson University in Maryland. Rauchet has been married twice before and has three children from her previous marriages.

Hegseth and Rauchet married in 2019 at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey. They share a seven-year-old daughter. She is Hegseth’s third wife.

Rauchet used to be an executive producer at Fox News, where she also met Hegseth

Image credits: jennycdot

Last year, the couple was caught in another controversy when reports alleged that Rauchet played a key role in ousting Tucker Carlson from Fox News—in an effort to secure her husband a prime-time spot.