Pete Hegseth And His Wife Look Even More Dusty Posing Than Mike & Kelly Johnson
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Is the third time really the charm? Maybe not. Photos of Pete Hegseth posing with his third wife, Jennifer Rauchet, paint a very different picture. Perhaps the right word is weathered? Dusty, even? Given the circumstances surrounding their marriage, that might not be too far off base. (Cue all the messy rumors circling about Hegseth's marriage.) Unfortunately, Hegseth and Rauchet are giving even the ever-awkward and seemingly incompatible Mike and Kelly Johnson a run for their money in the dusty department — and that's no easy feat!
Hegseth and Rauchet's union is not without controversy. They first met while working at Fox News together. According to reporter Brian Stelter in his book "Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy" (via the Daily Beast), Rauchet became pregnant with Hegseth's child in 2016 while he was still married to his second wife, quickly solidifying his place atop the list of Fox News stars with the most scandalous love lives. Welcome to the shady side of Hegseth.
Meanwhile, Rauchet was also married at the time. The star-crossed lovers eventually tied the knot in 2019, each bringing three children from their past marriages into the mix, along with their shared daughter. This rounded their blended brood out to a whopping seven kids! (For those keeping score, that's two more than the Johnsons have.) Alas, after then-President-elect Donald Trump nominated Hegseth to be his new Secretary of Defense in November 2024, the couple was thrust into the unforgiving glare of the spotlight when several scandals surfaced that rocked Hegseth's reputation. We're talking sexual assault allegations, alcoholism accusations, and even past claims by his own mother that he was abusive to women. So, yeah, maybe the couple really is tired, stressed, and — yes — dusty.
Pete Hegseth's Senate confirmation hearing really took it out of 'em
Bring-your-wife-to-work day, every day?! In the wake of all of the cheating, sexual assault, and abuse allegations surrounding her hubby, Pete Hegseth, Jennifer Rauchet made it a point to stand by her man literally everywhere he went, including his Senate confirmation hearing on January 14. It's safe to say that neither of them looked especially bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, or especially thrilled to be there. Things only got worse when the father of seven appeared to have trouble rattling off the kids' names to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Ruh-roh.
An ice cream date gone sour
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ... a broken arm?! In August 2025, things looked downright bleak when Pete Hegseth and Jennifer Rauchet were caught looking long-faced while having ice cream together at Ben & Jerry's in Washington, D.C., as evidenced in photos obtained by Getty Images. (We're willing to bet Hegseth's flavor of choice was the Americone Dream.) But what made the ice cream outing look particularly abysmal was the all-new accessory Rauchet was rocking: a mysterious sling on her right arm. Unfortunately, neither Hegseth nor Rauchet has publicly discussed the details surrounding Rauchet's injury. The world may never know.
Jennifer Rauchet was nearly unrecognizable at a September 11 event
On September 11, both Pete Hegseth and Jennifer Rauchet appeared a little worse for wear and even unrecognizable as they attended an event at the Pentagon in remembrance of the anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks. Later, Rauchet took to Instagram to commemorate the occasion, and one user in the comments section made it clear they didn't even recognize her. "Who is that lady walking with Pete?!?" the Instagrammer asked.
Pete Hegseth and Jennifer Rauchet even look tired on date night
On November 20, Jennifer Rauchet took to Instagram to capture the married couple sharing a night out at — you guessed it — the White House. How ... romantic? "Lovely evening enjoying the beautiful state dinner put on by our amazing @flotus," she wrote in the caption of the post along with an American flag. But if we're being honest, they didn't look like a couple happy to "finally" be out and about sans their large-and-in-charge brood. Instead, they just looked drained and defeated. (Still not as tired as that dusty "We The People" white clutch Rauchet was carrying, though.)