Pentagon officials confirm staff accidentally damaged a historic World War II-era globe linked to President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
WASHINGTON, DC: A social media rumor recently gained widespread attention, alleging that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s staff accidentally smashed a historic globe belonging to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower while attempting to relocate it to his workspace. The allegation quickly generated heavy online debate, prompting a closer look at the facts.
Claim: Pete Hegseth’s team damaged a historic Dwight D. Eisenhower globe
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted a historic World War II-era globe associated with Dwight D. Eisenhower moved to his Pentagon office.
On February 3, his staff tried moving it without professional curators, who were furloughed during a government shutdown.
They dropped the globe, puncturing its shell and breaking its rotating mount. The damaged artifact was never relocated.
Source: WaPo
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 22, 2026
The viral discussion stemmed from a post on X claiming that a piece of history inside the Pentagon was mishandled and broken by aides trying to move it.
The widely viewed post detailed: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted a historic World War II-era globe associated with Dwight D. Eisenhower moved to his Pentagon office. On February 3, his staff tried moving it without professional curators, who were furloughed during a government shutdown. They dropped the globe, puncturing its shell and breaking its rotating mount. The damaged artifact was never relocated.”
Accumulating hundreds of thousands of views, the post polarized social media users, with some treating the account as absolute fact while others branded it as online fabrication.
Fact Check: The incident actually took place earlier this year
As it turns out, the core of the rumor is accurate and has been verified by Pentagon representatives.
However, the mishap did not just happen—it occurred back in February, only coming to public attention after an investigative report by The Washington Post. Citing insiders, the report noted that outside sources unconnected to the Pentagon supplied the photographs illustrating the damage.
According to the publication, rather than utilizing specialized curators, “Hegseth’s staff dispatched its own team to relocate an Eisenhower globe” on February 3.
The article described how the handlers “lost control of the artifact and dropped it, sending the globe crashing onto its base and impaling the fragile shell near Antarctica, according to those familiar with the incident. The resulting gash appears to be several inches wide.”
A spokesperson for the department addressed the incident directly, confirming: “An accident occurred while staff were transporting a replica of the Eisenhower globe as part of its relocation.”
The official added, “Accidents happen; we are grateful no one was harmed, and the globe is being repaired. Unsurprisingly, the Washington Post is once again dedicating time to another inconsequential non-story.”