Trump’s defense choice stuns the Pentagon and raises questions about the Fox News host’s experience
President-elect Donald Trump stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary, tapping someone largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world’s largest and most powerful military.
The news was met with bewilderment and worry among many in Washington as Trump passed on a number of established national security heavy-hitters and chose an Army National Guard captain well known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
While some Republican lawmakers had a muted response to the announcement, others called his combat experience an asset or said he was “tremendously capable.”
Hegseth’s choice could bring sweeping changes to the military. He has made it clear on his show and in interviews that, like Trump, he is opposed to “woke” programs that promote equity and inclusion. He also has questioned the role of women in combat and advocated pardoning service members charged with war crimes.
In June, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump encouraged his supporters to buy Hegseth’s book and said that if he won the presidency, “The woke stuff will be gone within a period of 24 hours. I can tell you.”
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‘Who?’ Republican Senators React to Trump’s Nomination of Fox News Host as Secretary of Defense
Republican senators were shocked and bewildered by President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense on Tuesday.
Asked for his thoughts on the nomination, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) reportedly remarked, “Really? I’d have to think about it.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) reacted, “Wow… I’m just surprised because the names that I’ve heard for Secretary of Defense have not included him,” while Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) asked, “Who?”
Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) was more optimistic about the nomination, calling Hegseth “an impressive individual.”
GOP Sens on Pete Hegseth as SecDef:
Murk: “Wow…I'm just surprised because the names that I've heard for Secretary of Defense have not included him.”
Budd: “He's an impressive individual.”
Cassidy: “Who?”
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) November 13, 2024
Trump announced in a statement on Tuesday that he had decided to nominate the Fox & Friends Weekend co-host as secretary of defense.
“I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense,” he wrote. “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.”
