Another surprise from the 47th President of the United States. Donald Trump continues to build his government. Recently, he appointed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. The 44-year-old father of seven moves from hosting the weekend morning show on Fox News to leading the Pentagon.
A man against diversity at the head of the Pentagon
The Fox News’ weekend morning TV host is expected to become the Secretary of Defense. The former infantry officer, who served 18 years in the National Guard, received two prestigious medals for his service in Iraq. Hegseth, appointed by Donald Trump to head the Department of Defense, has expressed opposition to “progressive positions” within the military. Once at the helm of the Pentagon, the conservative could reverse policies promoting diversity that have been in place within the armed forces for years. He stated in a podcast, “I’ll be very blunt: we should not have women in combat troops. It hasn’t made us more effective, it hasn’t made us more lethal, and it’s made combat more complicated.”
In June, the Fox News anchor published a book. In The War Against Warriors, Pete Hegseth aims to explain the dysfunction in American society, which he claims has forgotten the men who take “the risks.” According to Donald Trump, his narrative highlights “the betrayal of our warriors by the left and how we must bring our military back to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence.” Pete Hegseth reached out to Donald Trump during his first term. In 2019, he called for leniency for three soldiers charged with war crimes. He also secured a presidential pardon for two soldiers convicted of murder and the reinstatement of a third, who had been convicted for posing with a corpse in Iraq.
Appointed to lead the Pentagon, he will oversee 3.4 million soldiers and civilian employees. The U.S. military has a staggering annual budget of over $850 billion. Formally opposed to the presence of women on the battlefield, he plans to implement some changes. He recently stated in a podcast that he intends to ban the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown. According to Hegseth, Brown is “involved in these woke policies.”
A Newcomer directs national security
The father of seven, who has been a host at Fox News since 2014, has never held a leadership position at a major institution or in the national security sector. When he announced his intention to appoint Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump said he was the right man for the job. “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice, our military will once again know greatness, and America will never back down,” the president declared.
But while the future occupant of the White House describes this choice as “strategic,” others are concerned about Pete Hegseth’s lack of experience. This includes Mark Cancian, a former Marine Corps colonel and current researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. According to Cancian, this choice is “very surprising” and shows that the soon-to-be president “wants someone who will be loyal to him” in this role.
Cancian believes Hegseth ” Pete Hegseth lacks high-level experience in national security and leading a major institution.” His résumé could become a liability during the Senate confirmation process for such a powerful position in the U.S. and around the world. It seems that Donald Trump is attempting to bypass these challenges in order to move faster. The researcher fears a “crisis between civilians and the military” if Pete Hegseth takes over the Department of Defense. Indeed, he believes Hegseth could take drastic measures, such as quickly replacing General Charles Brown.
The man is accused of sexual assault. If he denies any accusation, his lawyer acknowledges that his client reached a financial agreement with the woman who accused him in 2017.