Pete Hegseth's Brother Has an Important Role That Keeps Him Close to the U.S. Defense Secretary (2025)

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was in the news consistently for the first 90 days or so of his time in Donald Trump's cabinet. But it turns out, he's not the only Hegseth making headlines. Pete Hegseth's brother actually works with him at the Pentagon. But who is Phil Hegseth, and how did he end up in his career?

Not only does Phil work with Pete, but he was also part of one of the leaked text chains from March 2025. That makes more sense than the reported leak to the press, especially since Phil works alongside Pete. But, outside of the Pentagon, who is Pete's brother, Phil Hegseth, and does he share the same political views as Pete?

Who is Pete Hegseth's brother?

According to LinkedIn, Phil's career did not start in politics, and it certainly wasn't at the Pentagon. His profile says that he founded Embassy and Third, a video and audio consulting and production company, in 2020. In fact, his profile says he still works there. The website for Embassy and Third explains, "Embassy and Third is a podcast production and consulting agency ready to help you sound & look your best — all with a personal touch."

Outside of his company, Phil works with Pete at the Pentagon as a special liaison. According to AP News, Pete's brother is the Department of Homeland Security liaison and senior adviser at the Pentagon. This means the brothers get to work closely more often than not. The outlet also reported that a spokeswoman for the department, Kingsley Wilson, explained that Phil's role includes "conducting touch points with U.S. Coast Guard officials on the Secretary's Indo-Pacific trip," in reference to an ongoing trip that Pete began in early 2025.

Unlike his older brother, who has his own controversies to contend with, Phil seems to prefer to keep a bit of a low profile. His Instagram account is private, though his main photo shows him with a child, so it's possible that he has at least one kid. Still, not much is known about Pete's brother outside of their working relationship and the fact that Phil was part of the leaked chat about the Yemen airstrike.

Pete Hegseth's brother was part of a leaked text chain about the Yemen airstrike.

According to The New York Times, Pete shared details of the Yemen plans in a chat on the Signal app with Phil, his wife, and his lawyer. The outlet reported that the leak occurred when the March 2025 text leak happened regarding Pete's conversation about the attack with Trump's National Security Council.

Given Phil's close proximity to the defense secretary as brothers and their working relationship, it makes more sense for him to be included in messages about high-profile matters. However, it still doesn't explain why Pete's wife was in the same chat about what should have been a more confidential plan.