Staffers for Pete Hegseth Damage Rare Eisenhower Globe

Staffers for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth damaged a rare 1930s globe during an attempted move within the Pentagon on February 3. The artifact, believed to have been used by Dwight D. Eisenhower, suffered a several-inch puncture near Antarctica and was detached from its rotating mechanism after being dropped.

The United States Army confirmed the incident, noting that the globe was never successfully moved to Hegseth's office. The damage occurred because professional transport specialists from the United States Army Center of Military History were unavailable due to furloughs during a partial federal government shutdown, leading Hegseth's aides to attempt the move themselves.

While the Army identifies the item as one of two Eisenhower globes, a plaque accompanying the artifact notes that this association is a popular theory. The incident has reportedly caused ridicule among Pentagon officials and increased existing tensions regarding Hegseth's leadership and his office renovations.