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Hegseth Staff Breaks Historic Eisenhower Globe Moving It to Office
A 30-inch globe dating to the 1930s and linked to Dwight D. Eisenhower's World War II planning was broken in February when staff for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tried to move it into his Pentagon office without professional movers, The Guardian reported, citing an Army spokesperson and photographs published by The Washington Post.
What happened to the globe?
An Army spokesperson told The Washington Post the damage occurred during "an attempted move" and that "the spherical portion of the globe was detached from the metal mounting that allows it to rotate," according to the Guardian's account of the Post's reporting. Photographs show fragments of the globe lying beneath its wooden frame on a blue hallway carpet, with an inches-wide gash punched through its base.
Why was Eisenhower's globe prized?
The globe is one of two similar artifacts from the 1930s housed at the Pentagon, the Guardian reported, citing the Post's sources. It is said to have been used by Eisenhower, the 34th U.S. president, as he plotted the D-Day landings while serving as Allied supreme commander. That history is what drew Hegseth to the item in the first place, according to the Post's sourcing.
Why did Hegseth want it moved to his office?
Hegseth, confirmed as defense secretary in January 2025, has what the Guardian's report described as a "well-documented fascination" with military history and has spoken of instilling a "warrior ethos" across the armed forces. The globe's tie to Eisenhower's wartime planning made it attractive for his office, the Post's sources said, and aides moved quickly to carry out the relocation.
How did the damage actually occur?
Rather than wait for specialist movers to pack the fragile globe with the precision such artifacts require, Hegseth's own staff dispatched their own team to transport it, the sources told the Post. The globe was dropped during that in-house move, according to the Guardian's reporting of the incident, which occurred in February.
What has the Army said about accountability?
The Army's email statement to the Post acknowledged the mechanical damage — the sphere separating from its rotating mount — but did not detail disciplinary steps, repair costs, or whether the globe can be restored. No figures on valuation, insurance, or restoration expense appear in the available reporting.
What is not yet known
The Guardian's account, drawing on the Post's sourcing, does not specify who within Hegseth's staff handled the globe, whether a conservation review is underway, or the current whereabouts of the broken pieces beyond the photographed hallway scene. Those details — along with any formal Pentagon response beyond the Army spokesperson's email — had not surfaced as of the Guardian's Thursday report.
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Questions
What is the Eisenhower globe?
It is a 30-inch globe dating to the 1930s, one of two similar artifacts housed at the Pentagon, reportedly used by Dwight D. Eisenhower to plan the D-Day landings as Allied supreme commander, according to The Washington Post's reporting cited by the Guardian.
How was the globe damaged?
An Army spokesperson told The Washington Post that the sphere detached from its rotating metal mount during 'an attempted move' in February, after Hegseth's aides chose to relocate it themselves instead of using specialist movers.
Why did Pete Hegseth want the globe?
According to the Post's sources as reported by the Guardian, Hegseth took a liking to the globe's connection to Eisenhower's wartime planning and asked for it to be placed in his Pentagon office.