Pete Hegseth's wife skewered over new report she was paid by Trump-linked firm that worked for Lockheed Martin... as knives come out for her husband

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's wife, Jennifer Hegseth, is the subject of a new controversy linking her and a firm tied to the Pentagon's top business partner.

A long-time Fox News producer, Hegseth was reportedly paid for consulting last year by Watchtower Strategy, a public relations firm with ties to the Trump administration and Republicans, Politico first reported.

The first lady of the Pentagon worked for Watchtower Strategy while it was working with Lockheed Martin, one of the massive defense corporations that the Secretary of War routinely purchases munitions and equipment from.

Jennifer's father, who died in 2009, was a Lockheed Martin executive, and she has reportedly joined in on critical meetings on various Pentagon matters with her husband.

The payments appeared on the secretary of war's annual financial disclosure, though exactly how much she received is not listed.

Lockheed Martin made at least $75 billion in revenue last year; 96 percent of that, $72 billion, came from defense revenue, largely from the US government.

During the second Trump administration, the Pentagon has not paid any other firm more than Lockheed, according to Defense News.

The report has raised ethics questions about Jennifer Hegseth's job at Watchtower, given her influential Pentagon role as an adviser to her husband.

Jennifer Hegseth was paid by a top Republican PR firm that has also done work with leading defense firms that land multi-billion-dollar Pentagon contracts, leading some to question her role

Pentagon Boss Pete Hegseth has been carrying out President Donald Trump's war on Iran

Hegseth and his wife Jennifer pose for photographers at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. Hegseth called his wife his 'rock' during his confirmation hearings in early 2025

'If Lloyd Austin’s wife was working for a lobbying firm while he was leading the Pentagon, I would have exposed the wrongdoing,' former Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz wrote on X about Joe Biden's former Pentagon boss.

'Wives of Cabinet members shouldn’t be paid by lobbyists,' Gaetz continued.

Watchtower downplayed the allegations, highlighting their work with the media and Jennifer's expertise in the area.

'It should be no surprise that a public affairs firm would want to work with one of the biggest former star producers at Fox News, the nation’s preeminent conservative news outlet.'

'Jen has assisted us in navigating conservative TV media and we appreciate her help. She has not interfaced with any clients nor does she provide any advice to Watchtower on defense matters,' said spokesman Alex Pfeiffer.

Several of the firm's employees formerly worked at Fox News, including Pfeiffer and Brooke Singman, the outlet's ex-ace political reporter, who joined the firm over the summer.

'Watchtower finds her contacts at Fox invaluable,' a source familiar with Jennifer's work told the Daily Mail.

The report comes at a time when Jennifer's secretary of war husband is under the microscope following Trump's midterm wipeout after Democrats swept to power across the nation.

Lockheed Martin produces the Pentagon's F-35 stealth fighter jet fleet. The Pentagon's F-35 project is estimated to have a lifetime cost in the trillions of dollars, much of that flowing directly to the defense firm

The president has made calls to his advisers and quizzed them on Hegseth's performance and standing, a routine he typically does when considering whether or not to axe a subordinate.

Multiple Republican strategists and sources close to the White House told the Daily Mail they expect there to be turnover within the administration because of the midterm beatdown – and Hegseth is seen as vulnerable.

However, the practical timing of replacing Hegseth in the few legislative days that remain before Democrats officially take control in early January remains to be seen – and many doubt it can be done.

It is unclear who Trump would name as a successor if he did decide to ditch Hegseth.

The next man up would be Deputy Secretary of Defense, Steve Feinberg, who already has Senate confirmation.

If Trump wanted to go with someone else before Republicans hand control of Congress to Democrats in January, they would need to work at a breakneck speed to begin confirmation hearings.

However, not many days remain on the congressional calendar this year, and the appetite to jam through a new secretary of war within the next two months amid other work, seems unlikely to some insiders.

'The Department of War maintains a rigorous, multi-layered ethics framework that includes financial disclosure reviews, divestitures where appropriate, and screening to prevent conflicts of interest,' Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to the Daily Mail.

'Secretary Hegseth and his wife are in full compliance with all ethics laws and regulations, and their sole focus is serving our warfighters, President Trump, and the American people.'

Once lawmakers return to Capitol Hill, Congressman Thomas Massie, a staunch Trump and Hegseth opponent, is expected to launch an effort to impeach the war secretary.

If it fails, Democrats are expected to launch a probe into Hegseth early next year.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to visit Brussels next week as they resume public appearances in the wake of child sexual abuse image allegations facing Meghan's father.

Prince Harry and Meghan will deliver a joint keynote address at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

It is expected to be the first time the pair will have been seen in public since Thomas Markle Sr was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI over a haul of suspected child abuse images.

The brief trip abroad will see Harry and Meghan listen to addresses by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola and MEP Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, the first vice-chairman of the Child Rights Intergroup, before delivering their own speech.

The Sussexes will have between 15 and 20 minutes for their rare dual-address, which they will use to speak about the importance of children's digital safety.

Harry and Meghan will also be shown the memorial exhibition, which remembers children who have lost their lives as a result of the harm they suffered on social media.

The Duke will later join a panel discussion called Beyond Promises: Building A Digital Future That Works For Children to discuss how to protect children online.

Prince Harry and Mehgan arrive for a visit to Himmah Hub in Nottingham on October 15

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has said videos of alleged child sexual abuse and exploitation were among files found in four storage boxes that allegedly belonged to Mr Markle Sr, after he was reported by his son Thomas Markle Jr last month.

Major General Wilson Asueta of the PNP said it had yet to be confirmed who owned the devices, which included nine mobile phones, three memory cards, five hard drives and a camera.

The 82-year-old was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month by Mr Markle Jr, who handed over a haul of alleged child abuse images he said he found in his father's belongings in Cebu City.

A second hoard was discovered last Friday in a storage unit Thomas Markle Sr is said to have rented near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico, during a raid by Mexican police.

Reports have since claimed Mr Markle Sr was moved into a care home for dementia patients in Florida, described as a specialist 'memory care' facility.

It has raised concerns the FBI may never be able to interview Meghan's estranged father because of the legal barriers over interrogating suspects with cognitive issues in care homes.

Meghan was left 'deeply distressed' at the allegations and revealed she was sent a letter via the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection seven years ago which made 'troubling and disturbing allegations' about her father, but that she was given assurances these were being investigated.

Harry and Meghan are set to be seen in public for the first time since her father Thomas Markle was reported to police over a haul of alleged child sexual abuse images

The Metropolitan Police has admitted it never shared the details with other law enforcement agencies, with the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, now investigating the force's conduct.

The Duchess had wanted to 'speak out' immediately after reading the letter but police advised her against this, sources said.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since the run-up to her 2018 wedding when he was caught staging paparazzi photographs and then had a heart attack, meaning the King, then-the Prince of Wales, stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle.

When former TV lighting director Mr Markle Sr had his leg amputated in the Philippines last year, he made pleas for the duchess to contact him, saying he did not want to die while they were still estranged.

A spokesperson for the duchess confirmed at the time she had 'reached out to her father'.

Last week, it emerged Meghan wrote in this final letter that she knew he was an abuser and that he would never see his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Mr Markle Sr, who returned to the US in May, has admitted to paying for sex in the Philippines but denied ever possessing child abuse imagery.

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress.

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper East Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News.

Although Lively was reportedly joined by friends, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 50, didn't appear by her side.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Lively's representative for comment but hasn't yet heard back.

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty.

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper West Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes.

The It Ends with Us star, who is stepping out in the wake of her bruising legal drama with her former costar and director Justin Baldoni, wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders.

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag, and she added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings.

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig.

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of the beauty regimen she uses to look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life' last week.

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty.'

She appeared to be wearing headgear with red-light therapy over her hair, in addition to a sheet mask with extra pieces she had pasted to her bare face.

The Gossip Girl alumna was also bundled up in a brown fleece hoodie while seemingly winding down for the night with her beauty routine.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes

The It Ends with Us star wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag

Lively added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of her beauty regimen last week

She joked that her go-to products make her look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life'

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty'

Lively gave a glimpse into her cozy wind-down routine shortly after the drama involving her film It Ends With Us and her director and costar Justin Baldoni.

'Natural beauty is effortless,' she quipped at the bottom of her post, which pictured her taking a deep breath while the mask covered her face.

Lively also drew thought bubbles around her face, and in one, she wrote: 'If I don't look like I'm in the first trimester of life after this much effort I quit.'

She continued: 'I miss the 2000s when we just used that handsoap with fish characters on it on our face & called it a day.'

The Gossip Girl star also noted the lights in the background of her room in another thought bubble: 'My kids' star projector that I stole is a vibe tho.'

She set her candid post to the tune of Fergie and Ludacris' 2006 smash hit Glamorous.

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media.

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman.

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media; above with Reynolds in April 2025 in NYC

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees earlier this year; pictured together in It Ends With Us

'The look: no time but need to look cute while ALSO raising children,' the movie star, who was seen using products from her Blake Brown haircare brand, wrote over the clip.

'Moment of truth: bun out after running around the city,' she continued, before almost running out the door with her pants unbuttoned.

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin.

Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees.

Lively previously sued Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer in December 2024.

Right before their trial was set to begin earlier this year, Lively was awarded just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from their dispute due to his countersuit.

In her lawsuit, Lively asserted that she was subjected to sexual harassment as well as retaliation, alleging he orchestrated a smear campaign to harm her reputation after she brought up complaints about his behavior on set.

In response, Baldoni denied harassment and claimed Lively made complaints to seize creative control of the movie.

In June 2025, the countersuit was thrown out. In May of this year, just two weeks before the scheduled trial date, the former costars reached their settlement.

They also released a joint statement, writing that they 'remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.'