Though headlines have occasionally followed them, their relationship has endured with love, loyalty, and a firm sense of shared values. Together, they’ve built not just a political partnership, but a blended family of seven and a home rooted in faith, patriotism, and resilience.

They first met while they were both married
Before finding lasting love with Jennifer Rauchet, Pete Hegseth had already experienced two failed marriages. His first wife was Meredith Schwarz, his high school sweetheart from Minnesota.

In 2010, he married Samantha Deering, whom he had met while they were both working with the military advocacy group Vets for Freedom. Their union, however, unraveled after a major turning point: in August 2017, Hegseth and Jennifer Rauchet quietly welcomed a daughter together, despite both still being married to other people at the time.

Jennifer Rauchet, for her part, was also navigating the end of a marriage. At the time of her relationship with Hegseth, she was married and raising three children from previous relationships, according to Mediaite.

From Fox News Producer to Political Power Couple
Before she was known as the wife of the Secretary of Defense, Jennifer Rauchet was working behind the camera as a seasoned Fox News producer. She spent years producing Fox & Friends, the very show Pete Hegseth would eventually co-host beginning in 2017.

When their relationship became public, Rauchet moved to producing Watters’ World, and the two maintained a professional distance from on-air appearances. But their off-screen connection continued to grow.

They welcomed their first child together, Gwendolyn, in 2017. By August 2019, they were married in a high-profile ceremony at Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, New Jersey. President Donald Trump attended the wedding, along with fellow Fox stars like Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt.