President-elect Donald Trump has selected Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and army veteran, as his nominee for Secretary of Defense, drawing immediate reactions from military advocacy groups and raising questions about leadership experience for the Pentagon’s top position.
Hegseth, 44, currently serves as co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend and holds the rank of major in the Individual Ready Reserve. His military service includes deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, earning two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman Badge.
The nomination marks a significant departure from recent Pentagon leaders. Former Defense Secretaries Lloyd Austin, Mark Esper, and James Mattis each brought decades of high-level military command experience. Austin served for 41 years and earned a Silver Star, while Mattis commanded Marines at various levels during his 40-year career.
Hegseth’s military experience includes service as an infantry platoon leader and civil-military operations officer in Samarra, Iraq, and as a senior counterinsurgency instructor in Kabul, Afghanistan. He previously led conservative veterans’ organizations, including Concerned Veterans for America and Vets for Freedom.
The nominee has taken strong positions on military policy, opposing women in combat roles and criticizing military diversity programs. “The military’s only concern should be war fighting,” Hegseth has stated.
During Trump’s first term, Hegseth advocated for pardons of U.S. service members accused of war crimes, successfully influencing several cases despite opposition from then-Defense Secretary Esper and other military leaders.
If confirmed, Hegseth would lead the Department of Defense during multiple international challenges, including Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, and growing concerns about alliances between Russia and North Korea.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) expressed opposition to the nomination, simply stating that a “Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense.”
The position of Defense Secretary proved challenging during Trump’s first administration, with four different individuals serving in the role over four years.
