The wife of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took on an active role in managing his public appearances and even crafting messaging issued by the Department of Defense itself, a new report claimed on Wednesday.
Jennifer Rauchet, the Washington Post reported, often acts as a go-between who transmits her husband’s plans to agency staffers. The former Fox News producer does not hold an official position at the Pentagon but has been identified as a constant presence at the agency over the past several months. The Wall Street Journal first reported in March that Rauchet was present at two meetings between her husband and his foreign military counterparts where “sensitive” information was discussed. At the time, the Pentagon declined to say if she had any kind of security clearance, which some spouses of officials sometimes do.
