Donald Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and former military officer, for the role of Secretary of Defense. This decision has provoked immediate responses from military-focused groups and created speculation about his leadership skills for the Pentagon’s top post.
At age 44, Hegseth currently co-hosts Fox & Friends Weekend and holds the rank of major in the Army National Guard. His military career includes assignments 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 the usual Pentagon leaders. Previous Defense Secretaries like Lloyd Austin, Mark Esper, and James Mattis all had several decades of high-ranking military command experience. Austin served for 41 years, earning a Silver Star, while Mattis held various leadership positions in his 40-year Marine Corps career.
Hegseth’s military background includes roles such as an infantry platoon commander and a civil-military operations officer in Samarra, Iraq, along with being a senior counterinsurgency instructor in Kabul, Afghanistan. He has also been the leader of conservative veterans’ groups like Concerned Veterans for America and Vets for Freedom.
The nominee has expressed firm views on military policy, objecting to women in combat positions and critical of military diversity initiatives. “The military’s only concern should be war fighting,” has been a statement from Hegseth.
Throughout Trump’s initial term, Hegseth advocated for the pardoning of US military personnel accused of war crimes, effectively influencing several cases despite opposition from then-Defense Secretary Esper and other military leaders.
If approved, Hegseth will be tasked with leading the Department of Defense amidst several global issues, which include Russia’s continued war in Ukraine, Middle East conflicts, and rising concerns over alliances between Russia and North Korea.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has announced her opposition to the nomination, stating that a co-host of Fox & Friends weekend does not have the qualifications to be Defense Secretary.
The Defense Secretary role was a challenging one during Trump’s first administration, with four different individuals holding the position over the course of four years.