FOX NEWS
Pete Hegseth has been selected by President-elect Trump to serve as his secretary of defense.
“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,” Trump said in a statement.
Hegseth’s last day at Fox, where he co-hosted Sunday’s “FOX & Friends Weekend,” was Tuesday. Hegseth started with FOX News as a contributor in 2014 and was named the co-host of “FOX & Friends Weekend” in 2017. He began co-hosting the show on a regular basis in late 2016, and was officially named to the role in January 2017.
“Pete Hegseth has been an exceptional host on ‘FOX & Friends’ and FOX Nation and a best-selling author for FOX News Books for nearly a decade,” a spokesperson for FOX News Media said in a statement. “His insights and analysis especially about the military resonated deeply with our viewers and made the program the major success that it is today. We are extremely proud of his work at FOX News and wish him the best of luck in Washington.”
Hegseth, an Army veteran who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has hosted the FOX Nation “Patriot Awards” since 2019, which is the network’s version of a Hollywood awards show but one that honors heroes like first responders.
“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,” Trump said. “Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”
Upon hearing the news of Hegseth’s nomination, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said: “Really? I’d have to think about it.” Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., also weighed in as he was leaving the GOP Senate leader candidate forum.
“I was sitting next to two Marines, so they were thinking it was great,” he said. “And, yeah, we’re looking forward to it. I want to get to know him better in that role.”
Speaking to reporters, Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., called Hegseth “an amazing individual.”
During Trump’s first term as president, five men served as his secretary of defense. They either resigned, were fired or served briefly as a stopgap.
