Hegseth staff damage Eisenhower globe
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The gist
Staff for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dropped a globe used by Eisenhower, gashing its shell near Antarctica.
The artifact stayed unrepaired in place, and the Pentagon calls it an accident.
Background
Pete Hegseth is the U.S. Defense Secretary and Pentagon chief. The globe is one of two floor globes said to have been used by Dwight D. Eisenhower — the five-star general who commanded Allied forces in World War II and later became the 34th U.S. president — and is displayed in the Pentagon, where the Army Center of Military History (CMH, which catalogs and keeps historic Army artifacts) serves as custodian. According to The Washington Post, Hegseth's staff tried to move it without the trained curators who normally handle such relocations; the Army office holding it had planned to consult experts, but those staffers were furloughed during a partial government shutdown, and Hegseth's staff went ahead on its own.
How it unfolded
- Feb 3, 2026The globe was dropped during an attempted move, leaving a gash in its shell near Antarctica and loosening the spherical section from its metal mount; the Army later confirmed the damage.
- February 2026After the damage, staff abandoned the plan to relocate the 30-inch globe, and it was not moved to Hegseth's office. The Post obtained images of the damage.
- Oct 22, 2026The Washington Post first reported the incident; a Pentagon official acknowledged that "an accident occurred while staff were transporting a replica of the Eisenhower globe," and the Army confirmed the Feb. 3 damage.
- Oct 23, 2026NBC News reported that three U.S. officials confirmed Hegseth's staffers damaged the globe while moving it to his office at his request.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- A Pentagon official said "accidents happen, we are grateful no one was harmed, and the globe is being repaired," and called the Post's coverage "another inconsequential non-story."
- Caution
- A person familiar with the situation said an "apparent lack of patience" appeared to be a factor in why Hegseth's team did not wait for experienced help.
Still unverified
The Pentagon described the damaged object as a replica, but NBC News said it verified from three officials and a photo that it was the original globe used by Eisenhower. It is unclear whether Hegseth personally asked for or ordered the move, and unclear why staff relocated it themselves rather than relying on trained professionals. A plaque describing the globe's history as Eisenhower's is characterized as a "popular theory" rather than confirmed fact.