Katie Miller Podcast - Pete & Jen Hegseth on Family Values, Job Transition, & Military Readiness | KMP Ep. 17
Aired: 2025-12-02
Duration: 40:06


=== Budget Process Surprises (04:14) ===

[00:00:00]  What's been the most surprising thing about being Secretary of War that no one warned you about?
[00:00:04]  I think probably the machinations of the budget process.
[00:00:07]  And I'm not saying no one warned me about it, but understanding how much of this building is oriented around how dollars get allocated and how important that is, it's taken up more of my mind space than I thought it would because it is really important, especially because President Trump wants to rebuild the military.
[00:00:21]  I know that's a really boring answer to that question, but probably is the one I least expected.
[00:00:26]  If you could write one Hegseth family rule on that whiteboard, what is that?
[00:00:32]  Just obey God.
[00:00:33]  I do look to him, as we found out this morning, to set the standard though and set the rules for the kids and for the family.
[00:00:40]  We always make the bed.
[00:00:41]  Like military style, make the bed every morning.
[00:00:44]  And I noticed yesterday he didn't make the bed.
[00:00:46]  And then today, again, it's just kind of pulled up.
[00:00:49]  Babe, you never want to make the bed.
[00:00:51]  I said one day is an exception.
[00:00:52]  Two days is a problem.
[00:00:53]  It's a new pattern.
[00:01:06]  Hi, everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of the Katie Miller Podcast.
[00:01:09]  Please don't forget to like, subscribe, share, and follow.
[00:01:12]  We are so excited to be in the Pentagon today, joined by the Secretary of War, Pete Hegset, and his amazing wife, Jen Hegset.
[00:01:19]  That's right.
[00:01:21]  So, Mr. Secretary, you both have such a big, beautiful family.
[00:01:26]  What's been the transition like from moving from Fox and New York to DC, a military base?
[00:01:34]  How has that gone for you guys?
[00:01:36]  Well, Katie, thanks for having us.
[00:01:38]  I mean, the best part is hanging with the Millers.
[00:01:42]  Right?
[00:01:43]  I mean, it's a total change of worlds.
[00:01:47]  And it was only by God's design and the request of President Trump to serve the nation.
[00:01:55]  And we went from, you know, a rural school in Tennessee where we had moved to get away from the New York, New Jersey spot and get to a place that reinforced our values, church and community and school.
[00:02:08]  And then the incredible election occurred and the opportunity was given.
[00:02:13]  And so it was a no-brainer.
[00:02:16]  We're doing this, but we didn't know what we were signing up for at every level.
[00:02:20]  And it's been such a blessing to be on a military base and sort of really live in some ways a military lifestyle, like with those that we serve.
[00:02:31]  And so totally different pace, life turned upside down.
[00:02:36]  But with, I mean, I think we would both say, with God as our compass and humbly seeking what he wants, all things are doable.
[00:02:47]  And so it's been a blessing.
[00:02:49]  So President Trump wins the election and you come down to Florida for transition.
[00:02:55]  When he won, did you know he wanted to be the Secretary of Defense at the time?
[00:02:59]  And were you, Jen, fully on board when he was like, this is what I want to do?
[00:03:05]  So the first answer is no, we did not know.
[00:03:09]  But once we knew, yes, of course, we were fully on board with serving in any way.
[00:03:13]  And that was important to know before you even went down because that's not something you can be like, excuse me, sir, let me check with my wife.
[00:03:23]  No, we were ready to serve in any capacity, but it wasn't something we were expecting.
[00:03:28]  Well, that's exactly right.
[00:03:29]  And, you know, like you guys, I've been a long supporter of President Trump, true believer in what he's doing with America First and Make America great again.
[00:03:37]  So in that sense, I thought, man, if he wins, who knows?
[00:03:40]  And he had said a couple of times when I was in your chair interviewing him, hey, after the interview, he might say to me, hey, Pete, when I went, I'm taking you with me.
[00:03:50]  And, you know, he says it, and you never really know.
[00:03:52]  And you've got a great job, and we're happy to be in Tennessee.
[00:03:56]  And so when the call came, I wasn't surprised, but I didn't precisely know.
[00:03:59]  And then before I went down to Mar-a-Lago, we had that conversation.
[00:04:03]  I said, we got to be yes or no.
[00:04:06]  Because once I walk in that office, and if he makes an offer, I can't say, sorry, sir, I need to spend some time figuring it out.

=== Shared Family Experiences (13:14) ===

[00:04:14]  It's either in or out.
[00:04:16]  And I think he appreciated that.
[00:04:17]  So, yeah, we didn't know what the likelihood was.
[00:04:21]  Yeah, and of course we said, well, we're yes.
[00:04:23]  We're definitely yes.
[00:04:24]  And that's where ignorance is our ally because if we had known what it would entail and the road to get there, we might have thought twice about it.
[00:04:32]  I think we still would have done it.
[00:04:33]  We would have done it.
[00:04:35]  But yeah, it was from there, we were off to the races.
[00:04:39]  What's a normal day in the HegSeth household look like now?
[00:04:44]  No day's the same, but I guess a normal-ish day is you wake up early.
[00:04:52]  Yeah, I wake up.
[00:04:53]  I mean, there is no normal.
[00:04:54]  That's the reality.
[00:04:55]  And I know there can't be in your household either.
[00:04:56]  There just isn't.
[00:04:57]  Kids, variables, life, the administration, it's all.
[00:05:02]  But yeah, I wake up and do PT.
[00:05:05]  I expect our folks to do it.
[00:05:07]  I do it.
[00:05:08]  And I'm up and out after that.
[00:05:11]  And then, you know, she's chosen to homeschool our kids.
[00:05:13]  So, I mean, her day is, I watched her the night before at the whiteboard in our dining room, which is now a converted schoolhouse.
[00:05:20]  And she's erasing, you know, Thursday and writing Friday.
[00:05:24]  And here's the tasks we've got for the day.
[00:05:26]  And it's really been a blessing to watch her embrace that role of just going all in on making sure that these kids who've been transported here have an incredibly enriching educational opportunity, which they do through her.
[00:05:40]  And then once a week they go to a school too.
[00:05:42]  But so she's working all day, I'm working all day.
[00:05:44]  And then, you know, one of my favorite parts is whenever that day ends, getting home.
[00:05:48]  And we're usually able to share dinner together and talk a little bit about the day.
[00:05:53]  And then I go back to work a little bit and the kids do their thing.
[00:05:56]  But if we can get out and throw a football or whatever we do.
[00:05:59]  But it's a season.
[00:06:01]  And the season is unpredictability.
[00:06:03]  But the rock and the stability of her and our home and our family is what makes it all very doable.
[00:06:13]  As a personal question, how did you come up with the homeschool curriculum you ended up choosing?
[00:06:18]  So I went with classical conversations because I was familiar with it before and it also has a lot of structure.
[00:06:25]  And so some more seasoned homeschool moms will think it's too structured because they want to do everything.
[00:06:32]  But I needed that to start.
[00:06:34]  So it just gives you everything you need.
[00:06:37]  Now you still have to do the work and you still have to do the teaching, but other than that, it's outlined for you and it's great and it's flexible and you do meet once a week, which is helpful because the kids get accountable to someone else, really each other, you know, and they have to present things they've been working on and so and they get the socialization and it's fun.
[00:06:57]  And I become familiar with classical conversations when I wrote the book, Battle for the American Mind, about classical Christian education.
[00:07:04]  So it's the closest mirror to what we had moved to to make sure the kids have an easy transition and they can continue and it reinforces faith in the classics and all the things we want to be focusing on.
[00:07:14]  How did you prepare your kids for the national spotlight?
[00:07:17]  You mentioned that you guys spoke with each other before you had gone down to Mar-a-Lago, but yet no one could have foreseen what is the legacy media firestorm that still encompasses your lives, both of you.
[00:07:32]  How are your kids handling it?
[00:07:33]  Do they notice any of it?
[00:07:35]  Did you have these conversations with them?
[00:07:38]  So we prepared them probably prepared is probably the wrong word because we just dealt with it in real time.
[00:07:47]  I think in the beginning we were blessed to have a community and a school who was willing to and a church to shelter them a little bit while we were in November and December going through the fire and they would hear things but they didn't have random people asking them questions or bringing things up that we hadn't had a chance to discuss which gave us a moment to then be able to sit down with them and explain the I don't know,
[00:08:17]  the anatomy of a news story.
[00:08:19]  Yeah, no banner.
[00:08:21]  A banner on a television screen.
[00:08:22]  You're right.
[00:08:23]  The banners change quickly.
[00:08:26]  One day you're this and the next day you're that.
[00:08:29]  You know, I think in some ways they were more prepared than most because they've spent all their childhood watching their dad be on television.
[00:08:38]  But it's almost always been in this warm glow of morning television or the Patriot Awards or whatever it is or the books.
[00:08:45]  And so it just took a, I mean, I could ask you the same question, right?
[00:08:49]  I mean, you guys manage the same thing.
[00:08:52]  But I think she's exactly right.
[00:08:54]  We kept them inside their familiar structure with the people that love them.
[00:08:58]  Our family supported, our church supported, school supported.
[00:09:01]  She was by my side on Capitol Hill and throughout.
[00:09:04]  And then they got out here as soon as they could.
[00:09:06]  So we kept their lives as steady as possible.
[00:09:11]  And then, yeah, you take a moment and you explain and you pray together as a family and you talk through it.
[00:09:17]  And, you know, we did all through the summer and everyone else do Bible studies together just to stay grounded.
[00:09:22]  And this is, we're in a new place, but we're the same people.
[00:09:26]  And important to being effective in that new place is staying grounded in those same things, those same values and same beliefs that are immovable.
[00:09:35]  And that's really the core of who we are.
[00:09:37]  It's not the cool people we get to meet or the cool events we get to go to or none of that matters.
[00:09:43]  It's who are you as a child of God and how are you developing that relationship?
[00:09:50]  That's a pretty steady course for kids and we've tried to stay on that.
[00:09:53]  And it's also such an important lesson to teach them, you know, what do you hear versus what do you experience?
[00:09:59]  And so they would hear all these things and go, that's not my family.
[00:10:03]  That's not my parents.
[00:10:05]  And you're like, that's exactly right.
[00:10:07]  It's what do you know for sure versus what someone else, people can say anything.
[00:10:11]  And so I think that's really grown them into being wisely skeptical, not overly skeptical.
[00:10:18]  And now it's, hey, dad, look what they're saying about you.
[00:10:22]  It's all good.
[00:10:23]  And then they'll say, why?
[00:10:24]  Is it true?
[00:10:25]  Even today, you know, if it's anything related to any actions he's taken, what's really happening there?
[00:10:33]  And it's gotten them to be a little more curious and tuned in, which I think is good.
[00:10:37]  Yeah, in an unclassified sense.
[00:10:42]  When you were going through confirmation, I think one of the most powerful images was that Jen, you went to all of these meetings with him when people were, I'm sure, asking questions when you thought they had no place asking them of your marriage and who you guys are as people.
[00:10:57]  What is that like now?
[00:10:59]  You're confirmed, you're the Secretary of War, and you see people out, or you have these same conversations with senators who were asking those, I would call them inappropriate questions at the time.
[00:11:12]  I'll say something.
[00:11:14]  People adore her and respect her a lot for that.
[00:11:18]  It was unusual.
[00:11:20]  I remember the first meeting we went to that she came with.
[00:11:23]  I was like, huh.
[00:11:25]  And then it felt so right and so natural, not because of anything else, just because we've always been ride or die.
[00:11:31]  It's always been, we're doing this together.
[00:11:33]  And so when we did that first, I was like, oh, this is the way it's going to be the whole time.
[00:11:38]  It's got to be.
[00:11:39]  And so we made it happen so that she could be with me and she was just steady.
[00:11:44]  So I think a lot of folks saw her that entire process and her poise and her strength and her wisdom for me and related to it and admired it.
[00:11:55]  And so she gets a lot of that and rightfully so.
[00:11:58]  Well, to his point, it was not something we planned.
[00:12:00]  It was just everything was happening so fast and so quickly.
[00:12:04]  And we just said, okay, we'll go to DC together.
[00:12:07]  don't know what that will mean but for this first meeting we'll go and I wasn't even there I had been somewhere else on Capitol Hill in the beginning of the day and you were like coming over Let's do this.
[00:12:20]  And kind of from then, it was like a month we did it.
[00:12:23]  It just, it wasn't even a discussion.
[00:12:26]  It just was a necessity.
[00:12:27]  It's a political calculation of, oh, you got to have her to shield you from this.
[00:12:31]  That's what everybody sort of assumes.
[00:12:33]  No, no, no, no.
[00:12:34]  We're a team.
[00:12:35]  And when teams go through really difficult, grinding moments, you want to be right there with your team.
[00:12:41]  I mean, it's very similar to the military.
[00:12:44]  And so she was right next to me, just like my brother was right next to me that whole time.
[00:12:50]  And you're going minute by minute.
[00:12:52]  You're not sitting there plotting out some big strategy.
[00:12:55]  That's not what's happening.
[00:12:58]  And that's all we knew was stick together.
[00:13:00]  But to your other question about seeing those people now, it was an interesting experience of, I was really heartened to see some really genuine people meet so many faithful people that were willing to have honest conversations and pray with us.
[00:13:16]  And I was so proud for the states that those senators represented because they have really great people there.
[00:13:23]  And then there are people that it was all a show.
[00:13:27]  We saw some of the best and we saw some of the worst.
[00:13:29]  To see it all in real time, but do it together.
[00:13:32]  And I think if we had had to live in separate worlds at that point, it would have just is not the way we operate.
[00:13:38]  That's kind of been the theme of how you have been together throughout your time as secretary, right?
[00:13:43]  Your kids travel a lot with him and get to see the world to the point of having these educational experiences on the road and you're frequently together.
[00:13:53]  Have you guys planned that or is that just something where it's, which I think is very important as a family, you stick together through these moments because it grows your familial bond.
[00:14:00]  It's not just someone doing it alone.
[00:14:03]  It's a plan in a sense that our kind of guiding light is be together as a family and to each other and then everything else falls from there.
[00:14:13]  We don't plan necessarily when and where and for this reason.
[00:14:17]  It's just especially and when things are maybe more chaotic are the times that we pull in and we're like, we can't control everything, but we can be together.
[00:14:28]  And so that helps.
[00:14:29]  And the kids don't always love it.
[00:14:30]  You know, they don't always want to get on another plane.
[00:14:32]  Or we went to the demonstration out in California for a Marine 250 and we just thought it would be the most amazing thing the boys.
[00:14:42]  Which it was, by the way.
[00:14:43]  It was an unbelievable amphibious assault.
[00:14:45]  Yeah.
[00:14:46]  That any American would be privileged to see.
[00:14:48]  Like, oh, dad, another airplane.
[00:14:50]  Yeah.
[00:14:51]  Come on, guys.
[00:14:53]  Come on.
[00:14:54]  One day they will remember it and change their minds.
[00:14:57]  But so it's not just like Disney every day.
[00:15:00]  But for us, it's just shared experiences are important as a family.
[00:15:04]  That's right.
[00:15:04]  And yeah, and I'm in a job that's not, most of it's not kid friendly.
[00:15:09]  So, you know, there's most of the things the kids can't go to.
[00:15:12]  And, you know, there's certain.
[00:15:14]  And so we do what we can within it.
[00:15:16]  So I do end up traveling alone a lot, or the two of us will travel together a little bit here or there.
[00:15:21]  But where we can include them, we want to.
[00:15:23]  All the America 250 stuff, all the parades and cool.
[00:15:26]  I mean, I just wanted to see that.
[00:15:27]  That affected me a lot when I was a kid.
[00:15:29]  And I just think it'll leave an imprint on their heart also.
[00:15:31]  What's been the best thing you've taken the kids on that they've gotten to experience that you were like, oh my god, I'm so excited.
[00:15:37]  Is that Marine 250?
[00:15:38]  And then they're like, oh, God, just another airplane?
[00:15:40]  Right.
[00:15:41]  I actually think they think that was cool deep down.
[00:15:43]  I mean, like watching these boats and watching, I mean, it was just, it was incredible.
[00:15:48]  I think they really loved the, frankly, the Army parade, too, was pretty cool.
[00:15:53]  They were there for us in June, which, you know, had mixed results otherwise.
[00:15:58]  But took them to an air show.
[00:16:00]  They love it all.
[00:16:01]  It just, for kids, they become long days and events are long.
[00:16:06]  But overall, I think they're so, they are grateful.
[00:16:09]  And as young as they are, to be able to express that they're grateful for these opportunities, and they do.
[00:16:14]  It's amazing.
[00:16:15]  What's been the worst thing you've taken them to where you're like, you are so excited and it's just been a really tough day with kids.
[00:16:22]  We all know how that goes.
[00:16:24]  And you're like, oh gosh, I'm still the secretary.
[00:16:26]  There are still cameras and people on me.
[00:16:29]  Every time they come to the Pentagon.
[00:16:31]  It's like, get them out.
[00:16:32]  Get them out.
[00:16:34]  You know, it was the same way at Fox.
[00:16:36]  I had to ban them from Fox for a year one time because they were so ungrateful.
[00:16:40]  This was many years ago.
[00:16:41]  Like, this is not a right.
[00:16:43]  It's a privilege and you're ungrateful and you act like you own the joint.
[00:16:47]  They were like eight, nine, and ten or something.
[00:16:50]  But they just thought the whole place was their playground.
[00:16:53]  So it's just, you know, hey, you're 14, you're 13, you're 15.
[00:16:57]  You need to represent yourself.
[00:16:58]  You're meant to be seen and not heard.
[00:17:00]  You're not the center of attention all the time.
[00:17:02]  Like, let's sit.
[00:17:04]  But I'll say this, tons of events and everything else.
[00:17:07]  It's the day-to-day interaction that they get to have with soldiers and members of, you know, whether it's our detail or other members of the, that's going to think leave the biggest impression on them.
[00:17:17]  They're just such impressive individuals they get to spend time with.
[00:17:20]  It's pretty cool.
[00:17:21]  Yeah, our 10-year-old boys started dressing up like the detail and one of the pens.
[00:17:27]  It's pretty cool.
[00:17:28]  The earpiece.

=== Represent Yourself Privately (08:07) ===

[00:17:29]  Yep.
[00:17:30]  If you could write one HegSeth family rule on that whiteboard, what is that?
[00:17:36]  Oh, it's just obey God.
[00:17:39]  Yeah, I was going to say, honor God.
[00:17:41]  Try to honor God with your conduct each day.
[00:17:44]  And if you're trying to honor God, you're shooting at the ideal, which means your treatment of other people is going to be affected by that.
[00:17:53]  And, you know, we've got, what is it?
[00:17:57]  A family creed that we signed many years ago, which sort of represents, hey, you know, as HegSeth, we are Christians.
[00:18:03]  This is what we believe.
[00:18:04]  And we try to live that through everything we do.
[00:18:09]  Even the sermon we heard yesterday.
[00:18:10]  Our pastor happened to be in town for a sermon.
[00:18:13]  Just talked about the responsibilities of fathers and kids and just live what you say you're going to do.
[00:18:19]  And that's what they're watching the most.
[00:18:21]  And so we try to, and we're not perfect, but try to live out the way we would model the kind of relationship we would want them to have in the future.
[00:18:30]  Who's the strict parent and who's the fun one?
[00:18:37]  Go ahead.
[00:18:39]  No, no, no, you go, you go.
[00:18:40]  I have my thoughts.
[00:18:41]  I think it goes back and forth and there's different zones in which either of us are strict or fun.
[00:18:49]  I would say overall, he's the strict one.
[00:18:54]  But there are times within he's not.
[00:18:56]  And I'm like, what's happening here?
[00:18:58]  The world is upside down.
[00:19:01]  That's very, it vacillates.
[00:19:03]  Like overall, I am the establish the rules, discipline, listen to your mother, execute.
[00:19:10]  And she's always wanting to have fun and create exceptions.
[00:19:12]  And it's wonderful that way.
[00:19:14]  But in the middle of the school day or the middle of the, you know, she's got them locked in and then I'll show up and want to play football.
[00:19:19]  And so I think we, it's a good balance.
[00:19:25]  I do look to him, as we found out this morning, to set the standard though and set the rules for the kids and for the family.
[00:19:32]  And so we always make the bet.
[00:19:38]  Like military style, make the bed every morning.
[00:19:41]  And I noticed yesterday he didn't make the bed.
[00:19:44]  He just kind of pulled it up and it wasn't, it wasn't done well.
[00:19:47]  I'm always the one saying we've got to make the bed.
[00:19:49]  So that's the key context.
[00:19:50]  I mean, before my feet hit the floor, it's like, okay, make the bed.
[00:19:53]  I'm like, can I get out first?
[00:19:55]  But so it's not really made yesterday.
[00:19:57]  And then today, again, it's just kind of pulled up.
[00:20:01]  And I was like, what is happening here?
[00:20:04]  And I said, babe, you never want to make the bed.
[00:20:07]  And she goes, well, you can't go two days in a row without it.
[00:20:09]  And I'm like, well, I said one day is an exception.
[00:20:11]  Two days is a problem.
[00:20:12]  It's a new pattern.
[00:20:15]  She craves the structure of it.
[00:20:17]  And when it's not there, she gets, so it's just an interesting demonstration of, she may joke about it, but ultimately kind of loves the fact that, hey, that gets made and kids' rooms are clean and we've got a system for the laundry and everybody has chores and you take care of this.
[00:20:32]  And if you go a day without doing it, you're going to hear about it from dad because you have a responsibility in this family to do your part.
[00:20:38]  Yeah, he's so good at being that immovable object, whereas I can be convinced and swayed to break the rules.
[00:20:43]  And so I need him to stay there for all of us.
[00:20:47]  Who wins more arguments?
[00:20:50]  100%.
[00:20:52]  What's been the most surprising thing about being Secretary of War that no one warned you about?
[00:20:59]  The most surprising thing about being Secretary of War that no one warned me about.
[00:21:05]  I think probably the machinations of the budget process, and I'm not saying no one warned me about it, but understanding how much of this building is oriented around how dollars get allocated and how important that is.
[00:21:17]  And thank goodness I've got a deputy in Steve Feinberg who's just incredible and does that, leads that.
[00:21:24]  But also, it's taken up more of my mind space than I thought it would because it is really important, especially because President Trump wants to rebuild the military.
[00:21:31]  And so we've got to deliver for him.
[00:21:32]  I know that's a really boring answer to that question, but probably is the one I least expected.
[00:21:37]  Who's harder to negotiate with?
[00:21:39]  Two competing world powers or your kids trying to get out the house in the morning?
[00:21:46]  If I were answering that, I would probably say my kids.
[00:21:48]  But he does not negotiate with the kids either.
[00:21:50]  So it's really easy for him.
[00:21:52]  Yeah.
[00:21:52]  You don't negotiate with terrorists.
[00:21:54]  So they get the rules and they deliver or not.
[00:21:58]  Yeah, I'm pretty good at clear timelines.
[00:22:00]  You've got to be clear with the expectations of the kids and then hold them to those timelines.
[00:22:04]  And then there's extra.
[00:22:06]  Listen, I mean, President Trump's had a pretty damn good record getting people to come to the table.
[00:22:12]  And it's because, well, people know where he stands and he's strong and he builds great relationships.
[00:22:21]  So I don't know.
[00:22:22]  I'd say the kids are more straightforward.
[00:22:25]  There's some kids on the world stage that are a little challenging sometimes.
[00:22:29]  What's the one thing you really hope to accomplish while you're secretary?
[00:22:35]  Well, I mean, back to the core theme of what we ask of our kids.
[00:22:39]  I mean, I hope I can honor God through the work that I've done here for however long that is and serve the president of the United States.
[00:22:46]  I want to leave behind the strongest, most disciplined, powerful, capable military in the world handed to the next secretary and this president and the next president for the nation.
[00:23:01]  I want to hand a military off that I would be proud for my kids if they so choose to serve in.
[00:23:08]  That is my really only focus.
[00:23:10]  I mean, I got to make sure the president has options and advice on whatever he needs and have a great partner with the chairman in real time.
[00:23:19]  And we're doing that all the time.
[00:23:20]  Working with your husband and everybody else on some really important initiatives, but driving internally that this institution maintains the highest possible level of readiness is just, you know, if I leave that behind, then I've done my job.
[00:23:36]  Do you think readiness includes the fact that only men should be serving in combat roles?
[00:23:42]  We talked about this recently.
[00:23:45]  I think my stance has been the standards need to be universally high.
[00:23:51]  And I mean, at the male standard, high.
[00:23:54]  And if that excludes females, then so be it.
[00:23:58]  That's not the intent, but it could be the effect.
[00:24:00]  And that's okay.
[00:24:01]  Not because we're seeking to push anybody out, but because, again, the rule, in that Quantico speech, I talked about the Department of War golden rule.
[00:24:10]  And I think, and I've asked commanders to remember it in every decision that they make.
[00:24:14]  Do onto your formation that which you would do onto your sons.
[00:24:19]  So if your son or your daughter was in that platoon and they were about to deploy, what would you want?
[00:24:24]  Would you want diversity for diversity's sake?
[00:24:28]  Would you want gender equality for gender equality?
[00:24:30]  No.
[00:24:30]  You want the absolute best and most capable no matter what to the highest possible standard.
[00:24:36]  That's what I want across the force.
[00:24:38]  And however that shakes out gender-wise or any of us is of no interest to me.
[00:24:43]  And that's why we focus so directly on standards.
[00:24:47]  What people don't get to.
[00:24:48]  I think it'll have the entire intended effect.
[00:24:50]  Yeah.
[00:24:50]  And what people don't get to see are all the women serving who come up to him when he's visiting troops all around the country that say thank you.
[00:24:59]  Thank you for doing that.
[00:25:00]  Because if you do meet that standard, it should mean something.
[00:25:04]  And it dilutes the whole thing.
[00:25:06]  And so they are grateful.
[00:25:08]  How does that apply to, let's say, men who are woefully out of shape, who are still in the uniform?
[00:25:14]  Then they should fail.
[00:25:15]  And they should fall out.
[00:25:17]  And they should.
[00:25:18]  Are you giving them time to get back into?
[00:25:20]  We're giving everybody time to get back.
[00:25:22]  So all of these standards will apply on a three to six month horizon in each service.
[00:25:27]  So everybody's going to have a chance to play the kind of catch up they might need to meet the standard.
[00:25:32]  And then after that, standards are standard.
[00:25:34]  If you can't meet it, too bad.

=== Trusting the Vice President (02:19) ===

[00:25:36]  I asked JD a very similar set of questions.
[00:25:39]  We're going to call this section Cabinet Confidential.
[00:25:41]  Oh, boy.
[00:25:42]  Who would you trust to babysit your kids?
[00:25:46]  Who would I trust to babysit my kids?
[00:25:48]  This can only be another member of the cabinet.
[00:25:50]  Only another member of the cabinet.
[00:25:52]  Oh, I mean, not your husband or Marco.
[00:26:01]  I would trust the vice president.
[00:26:04]  I mean, I've known Sean Duffy for years.
[00:26:07]  I would trust him.
[00:26:09]  He would just call one of his kids.
[00:26:10]  Brooke Rollins or Pam.
[00:26:14]  Tulsi's Incredible.
[00:26:15]  Who would get totally rolled by the Hegseth kids?
[00:26:18]  Who would get totally rolled by the Hegseth kids?
[00:26:22]  Oh, my goodness.
[00:26:24]  Everybody.
[00:26:26]  Probably the ones the kids thought they knew the best that they felt most comfortable with.
[00:26:31]  So, you know, maybe Duffy or Marco, because he doesn't live that far from us.
[00:26:36]  We'll see.
[00:26:37]  Who would you trust to cook Christmas dinner for your family?
[00:26:42]  Ooh.
[00:26:45]  I'm going through the cash.
[00:26:46]  Bush has got some good recipes.
[00:26:49]  Who else does great Christmas?
[00:26:51]  I bet Brooke.
[00:26:52]  I bet Brooke.
[00:26:53]  She's very social.
[00:26:54]  Rachel.
[00:26:55]  Rachel would be amazing.
[00:26:56]  And Rachel on behalf of Sean.
[00:26:57]  Definitely not Sean.
[00:26:58]  So Rachel, yeah, or Brooke.
[00:27:00]  She is kind of the organizer of the group.
[00:27:04]  Who would you trust to do your grocery shopping?
[00:27:07]  Well, Bobby Kennedy.
[00:27:10]  Come on.
[00:27:11]  Mostly, as long as you got some good stuff in there.
[00:27:13]  Who would you draft for your fantasy football team?
[00:27:18]  What?
[00:27:18]  Marco.
[00:27:21]  Oh, no, Turner.
[00:27:23]  Turner.
[00:27:23]  Scott.
[00:27:24]  Turner, obviously.
[00:27:24]  Absolutely.
[00:27:25]  I mean, he literally is a professional.
[00:27:27]  Marco's tracking his son playing.
[00:27:29]  He's very into it.
[00:27:30]  Who would be the first one on the Dance Florida wedding?
[00:27:35]  Doug Collins.
[00:27:36]  Yeah.
[00:27:36]  Doug would be.
[00:27:37]  I might be too.
[00:27:38]  Yeah.
[00:27:39]  I would put myself in there.
[00:27:40]  Yeah, Doug, probably.
[00:27:41]  It's true.
[00:27:42]  Who would you trust to go into battle with?
[00:27:45]  Oh, man.
[00:27:46]  Almost everybody.
[00:27:48]  I mean, obviously, we're in political battle every day, and the president has assembled what can only be described as one of the best teams this country's ever had.

=== Drafting Fantasy Football Teams (12:10) ===

[00:27:56]  And I'm humbled to be alongside every single one of them.
[00:27:59]  There's a lot of vets in that group, too.
[00:28:01]  You know, Lee Zeldon's a vet.
[00:28:02]  Tulsi's a vet.
[00:28:04]  Doug's a vet.
[00:28:05]  I know I'm missing a couple more in that group.
[00:28:08]  So we could probably put a good fire team together of some experience.
[00:28:12]  I mean, ultimately, the president, of course, which we do every single day.
[00:28:17]  Of all the things you've done since you've been secretary, which action you've taken have you most been proud of?
[00:28:29]  I would say doing exactly what we said we would do without fear of what this town would say about it.
[00:28:41]  And that is a great credit to the president who from the beginning has said, I got your back, Pete.
[00:28:48]  Go forth and restore the warrior ethos.
[00:28:51]  And so we've had to make some really tough calls.
[00:28:53]  And they're not even tough calls.
[00:28:55]  They're actually, they're obvious calls, but the media screams about them and everybody scream about it.
[00:29:03]  I don't know if there's one.
[00:29:04]  Is there one in particular you would think of?
[00:29:07]  I just think it's the overall back to basics and reformation, which has so many parts to it, but that is what's going to bring it back to the strength.
[00:29:21]  Some people like, someone like did a couple days ago.
[00:29:23]  It's like basic training.
[00:29:24]  If something, if you're a new recruit in basic training, what's the first thing they do?
[00:29:28]  They kind of break you down and then build you back up.
[00:29:31]  In some ways, we'd gone off the rails on, you know, not some ways, many ways, the political correctness, the gender nonsense, blah, blah, blah.
[00:29:37]  So we had to rip all that out, and that's the teardown.
[00:29:40]  And now we're back in this build back of command climates and all the ways in which you can reinstill discipline and readiness.
[00:29:48]  And I like being in that phase because now you're in the place where you're giving people room to run for all the right reasons.
[00:29:55]  One of the things we got rid of was, it's a simple one.
[00:29:57]  It's not that, was identity months.
[00:29:59]  We first got here and they're like, what are we going to do with this month?
[00:30:01]  What are we going to do with that month?
[00:30:02]  And I was like, how about we do no months?
[00:30:04]  How about we just do the military here at the Department of War?
[00:30:09]  And that has, I mean, talk about clarifying for units and others who don't know what to do and what to do.
[00:30:15]  It's like, no, no, no, we're all Americans here.
[00:30:17]  What unites us is what's important.
[00:30:20]  You and the president have been doing amazing things to protect U.S. citizens, both domestically and abroad.
[00:30:27]  It was incredible to watch our B-2 bombers and our F-35s, right, take out Iran's nuclear capabilities.
[00:30:35]  How much safer are we as a result of that?
[00:30:38]  I actually think it's kind of hard to fully calculate the difference between an administration where a balloon flew over the country and Afghanistan collapsed and the Secretary of Defense was AWOL for a week.
[00:30:54]  Like, I can't go AWOL for 30 minutes.
[00:30:57]  And someone knows where I am at all the time.
[00:31:00]  And you can attest to it.
[00:31:01]  The idea that Lloyd Austin was gone for a week and nobody knew shows you how asleep at the wheel the previous administration was across the board and the world knew it.
[00:31:10]  And they were taking advantage of it.
[00:31:12]  And so you got the chaos.
[00:31:13]  You got what happened to Ukraine.
[00:31:14]  You got what happened on October 7th.
[00:31:16]  Like that's the way the world was turning.
[00:31:19]  And now you've got Europe paying up at 5%.
[00:31:22]  And you've got Iran on notice and president said they wouldn't get a bomb and they won't.
[00:31:26]  And then you have a mission like that, which was so locked tight that the president was able to announce it on his truth that night without any information in the information space at all.
[00:31:38]  52 refuelers, 37 hours, B2s, right on target.
[00:31:42]  The world took notice.
[00:31:45]  And I think that plus the Houthi campaign where we can sail our ships wherever we want between the southern border and now strikes on drug boats where we know exactly who these guys are trying to poison the American people.
[00:31:58]  The world realizes that American leadership and strength is back, which gives the President of the United States more options to be able to expand peace around the world, which is exactly what he's doing.
[00:32:09]  And that's cool to watch and support that.
[00:32:11]  Which brings me to the Golden Dome.
[00:32:12]  It's one of the, I would say, projects that a lot of our country is the most excited about in terms of new things happening at the Pentagon and building us back up.
[00:32:21]  It's going to bring together a lot of important radar and missile systems.
[00:32:25]  Where is the Department of War on that project?
[00:32:29]  Tracking it every day.
[00:32:30]  It's one of those, there's some items that you sort of, you know, you know where I'm going in the background.
[00:32:35]  And then there are ones that you make sure you have your best possible person on.
[00:32:38]  General Gutline is that person.
[00:32:40]  And that from day one, we've been getting monthly updates on to make sure it's properly resourced and supported.
[00:32:46]  The technology's there.
[00:32:47]  And there's a lot that goes into it.
[00:32:49]  But it's important to deliver because it's central to what the president has promised, which is secure the homeland.
[00:32:54]  I mean, what your husband's doing on the border and with the cartels and everything is a part of that.
[00:33:00]  You add Golden Dome on top of it, and the President's delivering exactly on what he said he would do, which is protect us.
[00:33:05]  Okay.
[00:33:05]  Would you rather?
[00:33:07]  Would you rather step on Legos every morning or sit through another Senate confirmation hearing?
[00:33:13]  You know what?
[00:33:15]  I'll take another confirmation hearing because Legos are the absolute worst.
[00:33:21]  Would you rather be the one who forgets your anniversary or the one who forgets to pack the kids' lunches?
[00:33:30]  Lunches.
[00:33:31]  Lunches.
[00:33:32]  Yeah.
[00:33:34]  Would you rather your TV be stuck on the new MS now for a month or your thermostat locked at 82 degrees for a week?
[00:33:43]  Thermostat at 82 is my dream.
[00:33:45]  So is it really?
[00:33:47]  She's a southerner through and through.
[00:33:49]  She wants it warm all the time.
[00:33:51]  That would be wonderful.
[00:33:53]  You don't sweat at night?
[00:33:54]  Challenging.
[00:33:55]  No.
[00:33:57]  Would you rather plan a date night or be surprised by it?
[00:34:01]  Both of you please answer.
[00:34:02]  I would rather one, I was gonna say plan.
[00:34:08]  Although it is, there's nothing better than when one pops up.
[00:34:11]  When we like, it's Wednesday or whatever.
[00:34:12]  We're like, you know, we don't have anything to do tomorrow night.
[00:34:14]  Why will we do that?
[00:34:15]  So it's more of a planned surprise, if you will.
[00:34:18]  No, maybe not.
[00:34:20]  Would you rather have one day of total peace and quiet or one night of uninterrupted sleep?
[00:34:30]  There's no such thing as one day of total peace and quiet.
[00:34:32]  It's just not possible, as you know, with kids of ages that we have and the jobs that we have.
[00:34:38]  So that's sort of impossible.
[00:34:40]  So I'm going to go with just a full, strong, clean night's sleep.
[00:34:44]  Yeah.
[00:34:46]  Who's most likely to call you after hours with an emergency?
[00:34:50]  Stephen Miller.
[00:34:53]  100%.
[00:34:55]  That's 100%.
[00:34:56]  babe look look who it is steven you know it's true You know it's true.
[00:35:06]  It is true.
[00:35:07]  It is.
[00:35:09]  There's others on the list, but he's on top of the mountaintop.
[00:35:13]  He does.
[00:35:14]  What do you typically eat in a day?
[00:35:16]  Oh, I have the same breakfast every morning.
[00:35:18]  Bacon, eggs, and sausage.
[00:35:21]  Something with meat at lunch and then whatever she makes for dinner.
[00:35:24]  Yeah, I try.
[00:35:25]  I'll say this.
[00:35:27]  I try really hard to be home every night for dinner.
[00:35:29]  I know I'm going to work, but I'm not.
[00:35:30]  I don't do events.
[00:35:31]  I don't do other dinners.
[00:35:32]  I don't do other extracurriculars.
[00:35:34]  Like, we get home.
[00:35:36]  We do our family time.
[00:35:38]  So whatever she makes.
[00:35:39]  We eat a little later than we used to.
[00:35:41]  Yeah, and sometimes there is no dinner because you're working all the way through.
[00:35:44]  But like when there, if you commit to things all the time, pretty soon you're never home and that's not okay.
[00:35:51]  If someone were going out in D.C. and wanted to catch the Hegseth out to dinner, where's the go-to spot?
[00:35:58]  In the house.
[00:36:00]  Not in our house.
[00:36:01]  Really?
[00:36:02]  I mean, there just isn't one.
[00:36:06]  What's the best meal Jen makes?
[00:36:09]  Lemon chicken's really good.
[00:36:14]  Meatballs are really, really good.
[00:36:16]  Homemade meatballs with a little sausage in there.
[00:36:19]  She's an excellent, excellent cook.
[00:36:21]  What shows are you binging right now?
[00:36:25]  Well, what we just watched, is it Dark Wolf?
[00:36:28]  Yeah.
[00:36:28]  Dark Wolf, which is the prequel to Terminalist.
[00:36:33]  And then we started at lots of people's recommendations, The Diplomat, but...
[00:36:38]  It's not so good.
[00:36:39]  No.
[00:36:39]  I don't think so.
[00:36:40]  Terrible.
[00:36:41]  And then we watched that continuity of government movie.
[00:36:44]  I can't remember what it was called.
[00:36:46]  Oh, yeah.
[00:36:48]  Where the sec deaf jumps off the building?
[00:36:50]  Yeah, at the end, the sec deaf jumps off the ledge.
[00:36:52]  Oh, perfect.
[00:36:53]  That shit's never happened.
[00:36:56]  Wrong ending.
[00:36:57]  What's your go-to comfort food?
[00:37:00]  Bread.
[00:37:02]  That's true.
[00:37:04]  Cereal or, yeah, bread, bread and butter.
[00:37:08]  What's your best dad joke?
[00:37:10]  Oh, he's got some bad ones.
[00:37:12]  Well, I don't have any.
[00:37:13]  This is a mortal weakness.
[00:37:15]  This is where I'm the opposite of Marco, who's always got equip every time.
[00:37:19]  Yes.
[00:37:19]  Just, I can't give you a dad joke right now.
[00:37:21]  I wouldn't even know.
[00:37:22]  I mean, it's probably like trying to talk the kids talk in a way that sounds ridiculous.
[00:37:28]  What's your guilty pleasure TV show that you've watched again and again and again?
[00:37:34]  Oh, it would be the office.
[00:37:35]  Yes.
[00:37:35]  Yeah.
[00:37:36]  If I have nothing else going on, I'll flip on the office.
[00:37:39]  Are you a glass half full or glass empty type of person?
[00:37:44]  I would say a half full.
[00:37:45]  I think so.
[00:37:46]  Probably in other parts of my life, I've been glass empty.
[00:37:49]  But if you're in the word and you know where your salvation comes from, then it's all half full all the time.
[00:37:56]  What kind of wings do you prefer?
[00:37:57]  Flats, drums, or boneless?
[00:38:01]  Flats all the way.
[00:38:03]  Buffalo.
[00:38:04]  And if you ask my kids, they'll go to a restaurant and all order only flats and take the whole place out of all their flats.
[00:38:11]  I've got drums, so it works out well for me.
[00:38:12]  Yes.
[00:38:13]  The flats and the drums always find each other.
[00:38:15]  Yes.
[00:38:15]  And get married.
[00:38:18]  Does that mean Stephen's a flats guy?
[00:38:19]  I'm a flats.
[00:38:20]  You're a flats.
[00:38:21]  I'm a flats.
[00:38:22]  He's a drums.
[00:38:23]  Interesting.
[00:38:24]  I like that.
[00:38:25]  All right.
[00:38:25]  And we're going to end on this question we end with everybody on.
[00:38:28]  Okay.
[00:38:28]  If you could host a dinner party with three people that are alive, who's coming to the table and what are you eating?
[00:38:35]  Oh, my goodness.
[00:38:36]  Go ahead, babe.
[00:38:36]  You go.
[00:38:37]  Migo.
[00:38:38]  Yeah.
[00:38:38]  Well, you pick one and I'll pick one.
[00:38:40]  No, I mean, I think, so I think you've, well, at this point, I think it would be President Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Zelensky.
[00:38:49]  See what happens.
[00:38:50]  See what happens.
[00:38:51]  What are we eating?
[00:38:53]  What are we?
[00:38:54]  No comment on that.
[00:38:55]  Whatever, the steaks, you know, just whatever the president wants.
[00:38:58]  We'll see what happens.
[00:38:59]  It'd be a dinner for peace.
[00:39:00]  It'd be steaks well done.
[00:39:01]  French fries.
[00:39:03]  Done.
[00:39:03]  And Russian dressing.
[00:39:05]  Yes.
[00:39:05]  Or Thousand Island dressing on salad.
[00:39:07]  Yes.
[00:39:07]  Love it.
[00:39:08]  Which I didn't ever used to keep in my fridge, but since he's been in D.C., it's a staple.
[00:39:14]  He has so much at the White House because he's got more at home.
[00:39:18]  Everyone, Thousand Island Dressing, I love it.
[00:39:21]  And now that's what I have.
[00:39:22]  So I'm a Thousand Island Dressing person.
[00:39:23]  I've always been.
[00:39:24]  So this is like, it's glorious.
[00:39:25]  It is.
[00:39:26]  It's the heyday.
[00:39:27]  Thank you so much for doing this.
[00:39:29]  Well, thank you.
[00:39:29]  You are very good at this.
[00:39:30]  Thank you.
[00:39:31]  I'm glad you've taken it on and helped spread the word.
[00:39:34]  And this is fun.
[00:39:34]  Don't get a chance to do this for yourself.
[00:39:36]  Are you enjoying it?
[00:39:37]  It's been really fun to get to do something for myself with my own name.
[00:39:41]  Scary, but it's been the most rewarding thing because what I wanted to do the most was bring something to women where there isn't a space to talk about things beyond politics.
[00:39:51]  Everyone else is doing politics.
[00:39:53]  We are very good at it.
[00:39:54]  Thank you.
[00:39:55]  Thank you.
[00:39:55]  Thanks for having us.
[00:39:57]  Thank you so much for joining this episode of the Katie Miller Podcast.
[00:40:00]  Please don't forget to like, subscribe, share, and follow.
[00:40:03]  We'll see you next Tuesday night at 6 p.m. Eastern.