Pete Hegseth's nickname within military circles is No Tab Pete.
Posted by The Daily Beast Podcast, Checked
- Sources
- 1 contradict5 support4 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 40%
The Daily Beast PodcastSep 8, 2026
Several outlets report that military personnel or Pentagon insiders call Hegseth "No Tab Pete," but nearly all of these reports trace back to a single Daily Beast report, so they do not independently corroborate it.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… It, it beggars belief. Well, you know, Push up Pete and Kernel Vodka, we can just, let's, let's just, just begin to listen. Yeah, Pete and, well, and I think, isn't he called No Tab Pete because he never had a tab on his arm? Ah, we had a piece today in The Beast about it, that he's got a new, his nickname within military circles is No Tab Pete because he didn't have anything that he could put on his arm to show his service. Poor Pete, he must just be crushed. I totally read it that he was panicking and flexing and saying, you know, anybody who leaks will be put under a lie detector test, which made me wonder, could you pass a lie detector test? Ah, um, uh, no, I couldn't. …
The Daily Beast Podcast · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. Yahoo UK reports that a Pentagon spokesperson called the staff-mockery claims "fake news," which could be a denial of the nickname, though the passage does not clearly tie the denial to the nickname specifically.[6]
Supports. Irish Star, Allchronology, Yahoo and Raw Story (Sept 2026) all report the "No Tab Pete" nickname among Pentagon insiders or service members, but each attributes it to the Daily Beast's reporting.[5][7][8][9]
Supports. The Daily Beast's later Sept 30, 2026 article again describes Hegseth as nicknamed "No Tab Pete" by service members, but it is the same outlet that originated the report, so it is not independent corroboration.[10]
Context. Major tier-1 coverage (Reuters 2024, AP 2026, PolitiFact 2025) covers Hegseth's firings and background but does not mention the nickname, and the Snopes collection snippet does not address "No Tab Pete."[1][2][3][4]
Sources
10 sources: 4 fact-checkers, 1 tier 3, 5 not rated
- 1How Trump's Pentagon pick Hegseth fell out of love with the US militaryreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Hegseth fires the Pentagon's top military planner | AP Newsapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 316 claims about Hegseth we've debunkedsnopes.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 4Fact-check: Senate confirmation hearing for defense secretary ...politifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 5Pete Hegseth faces internal 'rebellion’ as insiders leak ...rawstory.com · tier 3 · cited for: supports
- 6Pentagon staffers use unflattering nickname for Pete Hegseth's wifeuk.news.yahoo.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 7Pentagon Pete’s Staff Mock His Wife With Brutal Nicknameyahoo.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 8Pete Hegseth branded with humiliating new nickname from soldiers in latest Pentagon leakirishstar.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 9Pete Hegseth’s Brutal Pentagon Nickname Leaks as Decorated ...allchronology.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 10Hegseth Summons Troops for Unhinged Rant Against ‘Fatties and ...thedailybeast.com · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Pete Hegseth holds a position within the Department of Defense.True
- Pete Hegseth served as a weekend cable news host before leading the Department of Defense.True
- Pete Hegseth is being blamed for leading the military into a war that they cannot figure out how to exit.True
- Pete Hegseth is currently serving as the head of the Department of Defense.True