President-elect Donald Trump announced Army combat veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense on Tuesday.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense. Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First.”
“With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,” the president-elect added.
Trump announced that Hegseth graduated from Princeton University and received a graduate degree from Harvard University. He noted that Hegseth’s service in the Army included tours in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, and Iraq. For his service to the United States, Hegseth received the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and two Bronze Stars.
The New York Post reported that Hegseth currently is a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard’s Individual Ready Reserve. Following Trump’s announcement of Hegseth as his pick for secretary of defense, Fox News reported that Tuesday was his last day with the news network. The outlet noted that Hegseth started working as a Fox News contributor in 2014 before becoming a host on Fox & Friends Weekend.”
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According to Fox News, Hegseth recently published a bestselling book called “War on Warriors.” In his Truth Social Post, Trump explained that Hegseth’s book exposes “the leftwing betrayal of our Warriors, and how we must return our Military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence.”
Trump concluded, “Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”
Commenting on Trump’s selection of Hegseth as the next leader of the Pentagon, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), who is a retired Army National Guard officer and was just announced as Trump’s national security advisor, said, “The Pentagon is in need of real reform, and they’re getting a leader who has the grit to make it happen. Congratulations to my friend @PeteHegseth – a combat decorated veteran – and let’s re-establish deterrence through America’s strength!”
While Republicans celebrated Trump’s announcement of Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense, Democrats quickly claimed the Fox News host was “not qualified” for the role.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tweeted, “A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense. I lead the Senate military personnel panel. All three of my brothers served in uniform. I respect every one of our servicemembers. Donald Trump’s pick will make us less safe and must be rejected.”
