Hegseth’s Office Globe Breaks as Pentagon Forms Tech Sabotage Unit
WHO:
The Guardian - Pete Hegseth is the US defense secretary; the article says he requested the Eisenhower globe for his Pentagon office.
The Guardian - Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th US president and Allied supreme commander, reportedly used the globe while planning the D-Day landings.
The Guardian - A US Army spokesperson acknowledged the damage in an email to The Washington Post.
The Guardian - A spokesperson for the “war department,” the name the article says the Department of Defense adopted during Donald Trump’s second term, called the damaged object a “replica of the Eisenhower globe.”
Drudge Report - Its linked item refers to Hegseth as “Pete” and says his staff broke the globe he wanted for his office.
WHAT:
KOMO - The globe’s plaque says it was believed to have been used by Eisenhower in Army planning and operations roles in 1942, describing this history as a “popular theory” rather than confirming it.
KOMO - The damaged globe became a subject of gossip and jokes inside the Pentagon.
NBC News - Three U.S. officials said the globe had green pen or marker markings indicating areas Eisenhower marked in Europe.
KOMO - A plaque identifies the damaged globe as one of two “Eisenhower globes” held by the Army at the Pentagon and describes its connection to Eisenhower’s 1942 Army planning and operations work as a “popular theory.”
KOMO - The other globe is displayed in the Army chief of staff’s office and bears pen marks attributed to Eisenhower and Gen. Omar Bradley.
NBC News - The globe had green pen or marker notations showing areas Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower marked in Europe.
The Guardian - Hegseth’s aides damaged a 30-inch Eisenhower globe while attempting to move it; the globe was not relocated and is undergoing repair.
The Guardian - The Army spokesperson said, “The spherical portion of the globe was detached from the metal mounting that allows it to rotate.”
The Guardian - Published photographs showed fragments beneath the globe’s wooden frame on a blue hallway carpet and an inches-wide gash in its bottom, with its base punched through.
The Guardian - The spokesperson said, “Accidents happen, we are grateful no one was harmed, and the globe is being repaired,” and called the story an “inconsequential non-story.”
The Guardian - The Pentagon houses two similar artifacts dating to the 1930s.
The Guardian - Drudge Report listed related links about the globe and a “new tech sabotage agency”; another Drudge Report headline said Hegseth might run for Senate from Tennessee.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The globe was housed at the Pentagon and was intended for Hegseth’s office there.
The Guardian - The globe was damaged during an attempted move inside the Pentagon, according to the article.
WHEN:
KOMO - The Army confirmed the globe was damaged during an attempted move on Feb. 3.
WHY:
KOMO - People familiar with the incident said Army staff had expected to consult the U.S. Army Center of Military History about safe transport and documenting the move, but the historians were furloughed during a partial government shutdown.
The Guardian - Hegseth had a well-documented interest in military history and said he had instilled a “warrior ethos” in the US military since his January 2025 confirmation.
The Guardian - The Washington Post’s sources said Hegseth took a liking to the globe because of its historical significance and asked for it to be placed in his office.
The Guardian - The sources said aides chose to move it themselves rather than wait for specialist movers, apparently because they were in a hurry.
HOW:
KOMO - The Pentagon’s account of the incident relied in part on unnamed sources; the Post also obtained photographs of the damage.
KOMO - Hegseth’s office did not respond to The Washington Post’s request for comment.
The Guardian - According to Washington Post sources cited by The Guardian, the aides bypassed specialist movers; their team lost control of the artifact and dropped it, causing it to strike its base and pierce its fragile shell near Antarctica.
The Guardian - A 2022 account described a successful relocation of an Eisenhower globe between two Army facilities in Alabama using protective crating designed and precision-built by specialist movers Craters & Freighters.
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 18:15 UTC)
A historic globe requested for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon office was damaged when his aides tried to move it themselves. The 30-inch artifact reportedly slipped from their control, struck its base and tore through its fragile shell. An Army spokesperson confirmed that the globe’s rotating sphere detached from its metal mount and said it is being repaired. The damage became a source of jokes and gossip inside the Pentagon. A plaque describes the globe as one of two held by the Army and says it was believed to have been used by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1942, while identifying that history as a popular theory. Green markings on it reportedly show areas Eisenhower marked in Europe. People familiar with the move said staff expected to consult Army historians, but they were furloughed during a partial government shutdown. Instead, aides apparently bypassed specialist movers.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 08:10 UTC)
A historic globe associated with Dwight D. Eisenhower was damaged inside the Pentagon as aides tried to move it to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office. The Army confirmed it was damaged during an attempted move on Feb. 3. People familiar with the incident say aides were in a hurry and chose to move it themselves rather than wait for specialist movers. The team lost control, and the globe struck its base, piercing its fragile shell near Antarctica. Its spherical section detached from the metal mount, and photographs showed fragments and a gash in the globe. Green markings reportedly indicate areas Eisenhower marked in Europe while planning the D-Day landings. A plaque describes the globe’s link to his Army planning work as a popular theory. The Army says the object is a replica, no one was hurt, and repairs are underway.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 03:15 UTC)
A historic Eisenhower globe was damaged inside the Pentagon as aides tried to move it to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office. The 30-inch globe, marked in green with areas Dwight D. Eisenhower noted in Europe, was reportedly used by the Allied supreme commander while planning the D-Day landings. Sources said Hegseth wanted it because of its historical significance, and aides attempted the move themselves rather than wait for specialist movers. They lost control of the artifact and dropped it, piercing its fragile shell near Antarctica. The Army said the globe’s spherical section detached from its rotating metal mount; photographs showed fragments on the floor and a gash in the base. The globe has not been relocated and is being repaired. A military spokesperson called it a replica, said no one was hurt, and dismissed the incident as inconsequential. The Pentagon houses two similar artifacts dating to the 1930s.
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(UPDATED October 22, 2026 20:13 UTC)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s aides damaged a historic Eisenhower globe while trying to move it inside the Pentagon. Hegseth had reportedly asked for the 30-inch globe in his office because of its connection to Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president and Allied commander who used it while planning the D-Day landings. According to sources cited by The Guardian, aides bypassed specialist movers because they were in a hurry, lost control of the artifact, and dropped it. The impact detached the globe from its metal mount and pierced its fragile shell near Antarctica. Photographs showed fragments on the hallway carpet and a gash in the globe’s base. The Army says the object, described by a Pentagon spokesperson as a replica, is being repaired, and no one was hurt. The Pentagon houses two similar artifacts dating to the 1930s.