Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and army veteran, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as Secretary of Defense. The nomination has elicited responses from military advocacy groups and sparked queries about Hegseth’s qualifications for leading the Pentagon.
At 44, Hegseth is currently co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend” and is a major in the Army National Guard. His military service record includes tours of duty in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, for which he was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman Badge.
This nomination represents a significant shift from previous Pentagon leadership. Past Defense Secretaries such as Lloyd Austin, Mark Esper, and James Mattis all had extensive high-level military command experience. Austin’s military service spanned 41 years, earning him a Silver Star, while Mattis commanded Marines at various levels throughout his 40-year career.
Hegseth’s military experience spans roles such as an infantry platoon leader and civil-military operations officer in Samarra, Iraq, in addition to serving as a senior counterinsurgency instructor in Kabul, Afghanistan. He also headed conservative veterans’ groups such as Concerned Veterans for America and Vets for Freedom.
Hegseth has voiced strong opinions on military policies, objecting to women in combat roles and critiquing military diversity initiatives. He has stated that “The military’s only concern should be war fighting.”
During Trump’s initial term, Hegseth pushed for pardons for U.S. service members charged with war crimes, successfully influencing several cases despite opposition from then-Defense Secretary Esper and other military leaders.
If confirmed, Hegseth would be steering the Department of Defense amid multiple global challenges such as the ongoing war in Ukraine led by Russia, conflicts in the Middle East, and burgeoning worries about potential alliances between Russia and North Korea.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) expressed her disapproval of the nomination, arguing that a Fox & Friends weekend co-host does not possess the qualifications required for the role of Secretary of Defense.
The role of Defense Secretary was a challenging one during Trump’s first term, with the position being filled by four different individuals over a period of four years.
