Pete Hegseth, a Fox News anchor, author, and veteran of the military, has been appointed as the defense secretary by US President-elect Donald Trump.
In his first political position, 44-year-old Hegseth, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, will be in charge of the most potent military in the world.
Trump called him “tough, smart and a true believer in America First” as he made his announcement on Tuesday.
The announcement coincided with Trump’s announcement that billionaire Elon Musk, another political newbie, would take on a role in government cost-cutting.
Following his victory in the presidential election last week, Trump’s government is beginning to take shape. Trump appointed John Ratcliffe to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and Hegseth was one of a slew of security appointments.
Hegseth will have to make choices at the Pentagon over matters like military help for Israel during its fight in Gaza and support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion if the US Senate confirms his appointment.
In general, Trump wants the US to stay out of international wars. He criticized the Biden administration’s spending on Kyiv throughout the election campaign.
On Tuesday, Trump again reaffirmed his desire for Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota, to have a major role as secretary of homeland security. Trump selected Michael Waltz, another member of the military, to serve as his national security advisor, which entails advising the president on foreign dangers.
According to sources who spoke to the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, Senator Marco Rubio, who shares Waltz’s strong views on China, is anticipated to become Trump’s future secretary of state. However, the selection is not yet official.
As the tally of votes proceeds, Republicans have regained control of the Senate, the upper house of Congress, and are slowly gaining a majority in the House, the lower house.
A Senate vote is required for some government appointments, such as Hegseth’s, but Trump, a Republican, has insisted that the next US Senate leader allow him to circumvent this procedure. He can directly assign other jobs.
As part of the customary handover of power, Senate Republicans are scheduled to vote on a new leader on Wednesday, the same day Donald Trump is anticipated to pay a visit to the White House to meet with outgoing President Joe Biden.
Who is Pete Hegseth?
Hegseth, an Ivy League graduate who was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has become a conservative commentator in recent years. Using his position to raise awareness of issues pertaining to veterans and the military, he has aired shows on Fox News.
According to US media, he was successful in persuading Trump to pardon servicemen who were charged with war crimes during his first term in office.
Trump emphasized the former soldier’s schooling at Princeton and Harvard institutions, as well as his military service in Afghanistan and Iraq, in his statement introducing Hegseth as his choice for defense secretary on Tuesday.
“With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – our military will be great again, and America will never back down,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Additionally, the president-elect highlighted Hegseth’s published writing career. According to him, the book The War on Warrior “shows how our military needs to return to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence, and how the left has betrayed our warriors.”
