The Pentagon admits a historic globe that Dwight D. Eisenhower used during World War II was damaged. This happened when staff tried to move it into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office. The department says the globe is now being repaired.
Pete Hegseth’s staff damages Eisenhower globe after new move
A Defense Department spokesperson responded to the news with a short statement: “Accidents happen,” it read, “we are grateful no one was harmed, and the globe is being repaired.” Photos of the 30-inch floor globe show a gash on its side that “appears to be several inches wide.” Eisenhower kept two floor globes like it during the war.
Army spokesperson Christopher Surridge said the damage happened on February 3 during an “attempted move.” He described what failed. “The spherical portion of the globe was detached from the metal mounting that allows it to rotate,” Surridge said. The globe never reached Hegseth’s office. The date is notable as it was the final day of the first of two partial government shutdowns this year.
Normally, Hegseth’s staff would team up with specialists from the U.S. Army Center of Military History to relocate an artifact of this kind. Those specialists were on furlough, though. The Washington Post’s source claimed Hegseth’s aides showed an “apparent lack of patience” and sent their own crew to handle the job without checking with the historians first. Hegseth has not commented publicly on the incident.
Moreover, the defense secretary’s interest in military history fits his background. He served in the National Guard in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also supports President Donald Trump’s push to rename the Defense Department the “Department of War.” Congress has not approved that change, yet Hegseth already uses the title “Secretary of War.”
All in all, the damaged globe adds to Hegseth’s troubles at a rough moment. Lawmakers from both parties recently criticized him for his proposal to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan and his handling of the ongoing war with Iran. For now, the Pentagon says the Eisenhower globe is in repair.
