Former FOX personality Pete Hegseth has been selected by President-elect Trump to be Secretary of Defense.
“I am honored to announce the appointment of Pete Hegseth to the Cabinet as Secretary of Defense. Pete has spent his life as a warrior for our military and our country. Pete is tough, smart, and a man of true faith. “We have 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, a married father of seven who lives in Tennessee, started as a FOX News contributor in 2014 and was named co-host of “FOX & Friends Weekend” in 2017. He started in late 2016 and was officially appointed to the role in January 2017.
“Pete Hegseth has been a prominent host on FOX & Friends and FOX Nation for nearly a decade, and is a best-selling author on FOX News Books,” a FOX News Media spokesperson said in a statement. “His insights and analysis, especially on the military, resonated with viewers and made the show the huge success it is today. We are extremely proud of his work at FOX News and are proud of his work in Washington. I wish him all the best.”
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Pete Hegseth has been selected by President-elect Trump to be Secretary of Defense. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
Hegseth, 44, is an Army National Guard veteran who served tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, and has been host of FOX Nation’s Patriot Awards since 2019. The network is the network’s version of a Hollywood awards ceremony that honors heroes like first responders.
The Patriot Awards are scheduled for December 5th in Brookville, New York. Hegseth will not host the show.
Hegseth also hosted the popular FOX Nation specials “Poison Ivy” and “The Miseducation of America.” Most recently, he wrote the FOX News Books bestseller War on Warriors. The book has sold nearly 150,000 copies since its release in June and reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
Hegseth is also the author of the FOX News Books bestseller Modern Warriors, which also debuted as a New York Times bestseller in 2020.
Hegseth was appointed despite having no senior military or national security experience.
He has repeatedly championed veterans and championed the cause of veterans and the military. Hegseth previously served as CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, a veterans advocacy group.
While serving in the Army, the Princeton and Harvard University graduate was awarded two Bronze Stars and the Combat Infantryman Badge, which is awarded to infantrymen who participate in active combat.
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President Trump said: “Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete in command, America’s enemies will be on alert. Our military will be great again and America will never back down. I won’t.” “Nobody fights harder for our military. Pete will be a brave and patriotic defender of our ‘peace through strength’ policy.”
After graduating from Princeton University in 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as an officer in the National Guard. He also holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Hegseth was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with the New Jersey Army National Guard. He was then deployed to Iraq as an infantry officer and to Afghanistan as a counterinsurgency instructor.
Hegseth criticized the military’s efforts to integrate women into combat missions and diversity programs, accusing military leaders of lowering standards.
Hegseth spoke about his book on “The Sean Ryan Show” last week, saying, “Everything about men and women serving together complicates things, and complicating combat means worsening casualties.” he said.
“It hasn’t made us more effective, it hasn’t made us more lethal, it hasn’t made combat more complicated…” he added. “We’ve all served with women, and they’re amazing. But traditionally, though not traditionally throughout human history, men in such positions have been more valuable. Where it is possible, our organization does not need to encourage it.”
“Either we get involved in combat or that’s it. That’s the only litmus test we care about,” he continued. “We need to remove DEI and CRT from military academies and train young officers to avoid this type of thinking.”
President-elect Trump said Hegseth is a “true believer in America First.” (Charlie Tribalew/AFP via Getty Images)
After his 2016 victory, President Trump considered Hegseth to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, one of the largest federal agencies, and again in 2018 when Secretary David Shulkin was fired. It is reported that he did.
In 2012, he briefly ran with other Republicans to unseat Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Upon hearing the news of Mr. Hegseth’s nomination, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said, “Really? You’ll have to think about it.”
Sen. John Hoeven (D) also joined in leaving the Republican Senate leadership candidate forum.
“I was sitting next to two Marines and they thought it was great,” he said. “And, yeah, we’re looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to getting to know him more in that role.”
Rep. Mike Walz (R-Florida), a former Army National Guard officer and veteran who was chosen by President Trump to be his national security adviser, praised the selection.
“The Pentagon needs real reform and we have a leader with the guts to make it happen,” he wrote to X. “Congratulations to my friend Pete Hegseth (combat veteran) and let’s rebuild America’s deterrence!”
Sen. Ted Budd, RN.C., told reporters he called Mr. Hegseth a “fantastic person.”
Meanwhile, Democrat Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said Mr. Hegseth was not qualified to oversee the nation’s defense agencies.
Hegseth graduated from Princeton University in 2003 and was commissioned into the National Guard. (Fox News)
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“The Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be Secretary of Defense,” she wrote to X. “I am the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. All three of my brothers served in the military. I respect all military members.”Donald Trump’s choices will keep us safe. It is damaging and must be rejected. ”
Five people served as secretary of defense during President Trump’s first term. They either resigned, were fired, or were placed in temporary positions.
