President-elect Donald Trump surprised political watchers on Tuesday night by nominating Fox News personality and decorated Army veteran Pete Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense. Hegseth, 44, served in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars. He later ran an unsuccessful Senate campaign in Minnesota in 2012 before joining Fox News.
Hegseth's selection comes as a surprise given that there was a pool of candidates for the role that included Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), well-regarded in military circles for her collaboration with the Pentagon on defense policies; House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.); former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat-turned-Republican and Army National Guard member, like Hegseth.
Trump Unconventional Choice
"Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country," Trump, 78, said in a statement. "Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice—our – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down."
The nomination was announced only hours after Gabbard expressed her interest in the role.
Hegseth has been with the cable news network since 2014, most recently as a co-host on "Fox & Friends Weekend."
"Pete Hegseth has been an exceptional host on FOX & Friends and FOX Nation and a best-selling author for FOX News Books for nearly a decade," a Fox News spokesperson said in a statement.
"His insights and analysis especially about the military resonated deeply with our viewers and made the program the major success that it is today. We are extremely proud of his work at FOX News and wish him the best of luck in Washington."
Hegseth was previously considered for the role of Veterans Affairs secretary after Trump's 2016 election, though the position was eventually filled by David Shulkin.
Before joining the military, Hegseth graduated from Princeton University in 2003. A decade later, he earned a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
A native of Minnesota, Hegseth has been awarded two Bronze Stars for his overseas service, along with two Army Commendation Medals.
Trump's Blue-Eyed Boy
Hegseth continues to serve in the Minnesota Army National Guard's Individual Ready Reserve, according to several sources. Congressional guidelines state that nominees for secretary of defense must have been out of active-duty service for at least seven years.
As a result, it seems Hegseth will need a congressional waiver for confirmation.
Both Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and former Pentagon chief James Mattis were also nominated less than seven years after leaving active duty and received similar waivers.
In addition to his military service, Hegseth led Concerned Veterans for America, a conservative nonprofit advocacy organization. He is also the author of The War on Warriors, a best-selling book in which he criticizes the "woke military" for contributing to the recruiting challenges faced by the U.S. armed forces.
"For the past three years — after President Barack Obama poured the social justice foundation — the Pentagon, across all branches, has embraced the social justice messages of gender equity, racial diversity, climate stupidity, and the LGBTQA+ alphabet soup in their recruiting pushes," Hegseth writes in his book.
"Only one problem: There just aren't enough lesbians from San Francisco who want to join the 82nd Airborne," he adds. "Not only do the lesbians not join, but those very same ads turn off the young, patriotic, Christian men who have traditionally filled our ranks."
Trump highlighted Hegseth's book in his announcement. During his first term, Trump had five different individuals serve as leaders of the Pentagon.
