Hegseth, Noem Among Cabinet Members Living in Military Digs

Several senior Trump administration officials have moved into military housing traditionally reserved for top-ranking officers in the Washington, DC, area, reports the New York Times. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth now resides in Quarters 8 at Fort McNair—the historic home typically assigned to the Army's vice chief of staff but left vacant when the new vice chief chose to live elsewhere. Others, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have also taken up residence in similar military quarters. Noem's office says she pays market rent; Rubio reportedly lives alone for the most part, while his family remains in Florida.

The Atlantic notes that Trump adviser Stephen Miller, widely seen as being one of the major players behind the Trump administration's deportation policy, also lives in military housing, as does Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and "another senior White House official," whom the magazine is staying mum on "because of security concerns related to a specific foreign threat." While there's some precedent for such officials to reside in military housing, it's unusual for multiple Cabinet members to do so at once in such a short span, per the Times. The move has drawn complaints from former residents, who say it disrupts the housing pipeline for generals and admirals seeking affordable options in a high-cost region.

The Army says Hegseth pays just over $4,650 a month in rent, which the Independent notes is "on the cheaper end of a full ... townhouse rental" in local neighborhoods. The practice isn't entirely new—past officials, including former Pentagon chiefs Robert Gates and Jim Mattis, have also lived in government quarters, usually citing security concerns or convenience, per the Times. But others, like ex-Defense secretaries Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel, preferred private homes with added security and communications upgrades. Some former DOD leaders argue there's a logic to keeping senior military leaders close to the Pentagon for rapid response to crises.