Trump nominates Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary
President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that he is nominating Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary.
Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel맥스카지노s 맥스카지노Fox & Friends Weekend맥스카지노 and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show.
If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises 맥스카지노 ranging from Russia맥스카지노s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea.
Hegseth is also the author of 맥스카지노The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free," published earlier this year, and has been outspoken about rooting out what he has called 맥스카지노woke-ness맥스카지노 in the military.
The book, according to its promo, combines 맥스카지노his own war experiences, tales of outrage, and an incisive look at how the chain of command got so kinked,맥스카지노 and bills itself as 맥스카지노the key to saving our warriors 맥스카지노 and winning future wars.맥스카지노
While the Pentagon is considered a key coveted post in any administration, the defense secretary was a tumultuous post during Trump맥스카지노s first term. Five men held the job during his four years only to resign, be fired or serve briefly as a stopgap. Just two of them were actually confirmed by the Senate.
Trump맥스카지노s relationship with his civilian and military leaders during those years was fraught with tension, confusion and frustration, as they struggled to temper or even simply interpret presidential tweets and pronouncements that blindsided them with abrupt policy decisions they weren맥스카지노t prepared to explain or defend. Many of the generals who worked in his first administration 맥스카지노 both on active duty and retired 맥스카지노 have slammed him as unfit to serve in the Oval Office and he has condemned them in return.
Hegseth was an infantry captain in the Army National Guard and served overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He was formerly head of the Concerned Veterans for America, a group backed by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch, and he unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in Minnesota in 2012.
He also championed the case of four former Blackwater contractors convicted in a 2007 shooting rampage in Baghdad that killed more than a dozen Iraqi civilians. They were pardoned by Trump in one of his final acts in office.
맥스카지노With Pete at the helm, America맥스카지노s enemies are on notice 맥스카지노 Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,맥스카지노 Trump said in a statement. 맥스카지노Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our 맥스카지노Peace through Strength맥스카지노 policy."
Hegseth has 맥스카지노an excellent background as a junior officer but does not have the senior national security experience that secretaries need,맥스카지노 said Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 맥스카지노I think Trump was tired of fighting with his secretaries of defense and picked one who would be loyal to him.맥스카지노 Cancian said the lack of experience might make it more difficult for Hegseth to get through Senate confirmation.