Pete Hegseth is still facing backlash over his Veterans Day appearance at an event honoring America’s fallen on one of the nation’s most solemn days.
The defense secretary, whom the Trump administration now calls the “Secretary of War,” was already enduring a brutal stretch. Then a few careless seconds on camera made matters worse.
Hegseth’s team has spent the days since trying to spin a story about his interaction with a soldier. But there’s one place their damage control simply can’t reach.
On Veterans Day, Hegseth attended the 73rd National Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery, where President Donald Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The Tomb holds the remains of unidentified American service members from World War I, World War II and the Korean War.
Soldiers from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” stand watch over it 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, through rain, snow and extreme heat.
Visitors are expected to maintain silence and show respect, particularly during the changing-of-the-guard ceremony. The guards uphold those standards regardless of who is visiting.
After the ceremony, members of Hegseth’s entourage gathered near the memorial for photos. Footage shows that as the group walked away after taking photos, laughter rang out.
The sentinel on duty stopped his patrol, turned to face them and called out, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!”
The clip went viral instantly. But the scolding turned out to be only the beginning.
Hegseth’s name now appears on the Wikipedia page for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The page’s section on Tomb Guards explains that sentinels “will confront people who cross the barriers at the tomb or whom they perceive to be disrespectful or excessively loud.”
Further down, the page now includes an entry dated Nov. 11, 2026, stating that a guard “reprimanded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after hearing laughter from the group who were posing for photographs.”
And it hasn’t stayed there by accident. The page’s revision history shows that one editor initially rolled back the addition, arguing that it was too soon to know how notable the incident would become.
Another anonymous user later deleted the passage, describing it as an “unnecessary political jab.” Both times, other editors restored it.
One writer joked that Wikipedia had already immortalized Hegseth as the first Pentagon chief to draw a reprimand from a Tomb guard. “Congratulations to Pete for this unprecedented accomplishment,” he wrote.
Others weren’t laughing that a soldier had to “demand silence and respect from a group with the Defense Secretary,” noting, “Hegseth is a disgrace. He has no honor and should be removed from office.”
Another user who has visited the site described the “vibe” as one of “peace and somber reflection,” adding, “The photo op became more important than the purpose of the event.”
A third asked in disbelief, “Selfies and laughing with his friends… on Veterans Day??!!!”
“Shame! Shame! Shame! They should redo the impeachment vote today,” added a fourth person.
Plenty of people simply turned their attention to the soldier. “Good job by that soldier,” one user wrote, while another posted, “God Bless That Soldier! May God Bless that Man of Honor!”
The Pentagon scrambled to clean things up. Chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said the soldier had “correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.” But as previously reported, no apology followed.
Instead, Hegseth welcomed the sentinel, Specialist Thomas Iglesias, to the Pentagon and pinned him with a Joint Service Commendation Medal.
He shared photos of the presentation on social media, writing, “We love soldiers. We love standards. Well done, Specialist.”
That medal made the Wikipedia page, too, listed right after the reprimand that earned it.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Just one day earlier, House Republicans had blocked an impeachment effort against Hegseth in a 211-204 procedural vote, sending the resolution back to committee.
The eight articles of impeachment included allegations that he oversaw military action in Iran without congressional authorization, along with other alleged abuses of power.
At the Veterans Day ceremony, the crowd booed when Trump introduced him.
It’s far from the first crack in Hegseth’s tough-guy image. Just weeks ago, members of his own team were caught mocking Trump’s Army pick with a crude nickname in a leaked group chat.
Before that, a string of embarrassing leaks had Washington buzzing. Hegseth can hand out all the medals he wants. Wikipedia isn’t taking requests.
