Pete Hegseth, like any other Trump administration member, is no stranger to getting unflattering nicknames. The trolls are constantly on the lookout for the government officials to slip up in order to crown them with new titles. Kristi Noem has famously earned the name ICE Barbie.
The President’s new nickname is Dozy Don, following his recent public dozing. Trump was spotted falling asleep mid-meal at his golf club last month. The viral picture even led to netizens raising concerns about his health.
Pete WUI. “Working under the Influence”
— Eric Alvino, TRUTH heals. PalofBW. Woodstock 69 (@ericalvino) February 22, 2025
Hegseth, like the others, hasn’t managed to skip the naming ceremonies conducted by social media users. “Whiskey Leaks,” “Kegsbreath,” “DUI Hire,” and “Triple Sec of Defense” are some of the names he has earned in the past year.
Interestingly, all the nicknames are related to alcohol, which is a clear indication of the image social media users have of the Secretary of Defense. Reports have suggested that the ex-Fox News employee was known for his alleged alcohol consumption by his former colleagues.
10 of his ex-colleagues spoke to NBC News and revealed that it was common for Hegseth to show up to work smelling like alcohol and with a hangover. “Everyone would be talking about it behind the scenes before he went on the air,” one told the outlet.
The New Yorker interviewed a few others who had worked with the Secretary of Defense who had a similar experience. Hegseth, on the other hand, has consistently denied the claims.
The newest name in the list of nicknames that the 45-year-old holds is “Secretary of War Crimes.” The internet gave him the name after the Secretary of Defense ordered the boat strikes that were largely criticized.
Hegseth got the heat from critics who pointed out how he essentially ordered to carry out a war crime. In September, he authorized a second attack on the Venezuelan boat that allegedly carried drugs.
Pete Hegseth committed a war crime and then doubled down.
He instructed the military to murder civilians at sea and when there were injured victims he gave the order to kill them all.
Surviving victims were brutally dismembered at sea by US missiles. pic.twitter.com/Kqm8xg04WP
— Anonymous (@YourAnonCentral) November 28, 2025
According to reports, the first strike left survivors, and that’s when a second strike was carried out. Legal experts who have weighed in on the situation have said that doing so is considered to be a clear war crime.
According to a PBS report, Hegseth defended his decision by claiming that he was unaware of the survivors when he ordered the second strike. He even alleged that the circumstances were unclear due to the “fog of war.”
