Trump picks Fox News host Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary
On Tuesday, President-elect Trump named Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.
Why it matters: The TV personality and veteran military is a supporter of a noninterventionist “America First”, foreign policy in contrast to Trump’s other picks for top national security positions.
In an email, Trump called Fox News host “a Warrior of the Troops and the Country.”
The president-elect said, “With Pete as the helm, America’s enemies are on alert – Our Military Will Be Great Again, And America Will Never Back Down.”
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Zoom in: According to his website, Hegseth is a decorated combat veteran who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo. He has also received two Bronze Stars, as well as a Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
He has been a champion for American veterans accused of war crimes, and he privately encouraged the then-President Trump pardon certain service members. One notable example is retired Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher. He was cleared of war crimes, and Trump also dropped a minor charge against him.
He is a cohost of FOX & friends Weekend, and has hosted multiple series for FOX Nation.
State of the play: Trump’s choices for Secretary of State (Sen. Marco Rubio), and National Security Advisor (Rep. Mike Waltz), were more conventional and hawkish.
Hegseth is a well-known figure to Fox News viewers, but not to many of the senators that will be voting on his nomination.
What they are saying: In an email statement sent Tuesday evening, a Fox News spokesperson stated that Hegseth was “an exceptional host.” His “insights and analyses about the military in particular resonated deeply with viewers and made this program the success it is today.”