Hegseth awards medal to soldier who chastised him

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, and his wife Jennifer Rauchet attend a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on National Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Coming out of the bruising the Republicans suffered in the midterms, this week was bearing up to be a bad one for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Many thought he'd be the first in the administration to be fired for his support of the Iran war, which proved unpopular with voters.

Then a member of his own party called for a vote to impeach him and, in an embarrassing incident that went viral, he also got chastised for poor decorum when visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Still, he managed to survive the former – except for Thomas Massie, who sponsored the resolution to impeach him, all other Republicans in the House voted against it – and sought to turn the latter into a PR opportunity.

The day after the impeachment effort, an incident occurred at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, one of America's most sacred military sites. It happened when Hegseth, his wife, and staffers went to lay a wreath at the memorial just outside Washington D.C., to mark Veteran's Day on Wednesday.

Someone in the defense secretary's group laughed loudly, prompting a sentinel on duty at Arlington National Cemetery to shout: "All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!"

As the video spread on social media, there was a flurry of condemnation online, with some dubbing Hegseth "the secretary of offense."

Political opponents, including Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), as well as former GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger, criticized Hegseth and his group.

"Pete Hegseth continues to demonstrate his utter lack of fitness for his office," said Moore on X. "One day after narrowly avoiding impeachment, he shows his contempt for our men and women in uniform by disrespecting the sanctity of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier."

On Thursday, the embattled Defense secretary tried to regain control of the narrative. He invited the soldier who bellowed at him, Spc. Thomas Iglesias, to the Pentagon, where he honored him with the "Joint Service Commendation Medal for the execution of his duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 2026."

"We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist," Hegseth wrote. "Carry on Patriots."