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Trump’s defence choice of Fox News host stuns Pentagon

13 Nov 2024 4 minute read
Pete Hegseth. Photo Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

US President-elect Donald Trump has stunned the Pentagon and the broader defence world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defence secretary, looking to someone largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world’s largest and most powerful military.

The news was met with bewilderment and worry among many in Washington, as Mr Trump bypassed a number of established national security heavy-hitters in favour of an Army National Guard captain who is well-known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends Weekend.

While some Republicans’ response to the announcement was muted, others called Mr Hegseth’s combat experience an asset or said he was “tremendously capable”.

Sweeping changes

Mr Hegseth could bring sweeping changes to the American military. He has made it clear on his show and in interviews that, like Mr Trump, he is stridently opposed to so-called “woke” programmes that promote equality and inclusion. He also questioned the role of women in combat and advocated pardoning service members charged with war crimes.

In June, at a rally in Las Vegas, Mr Trump encouraged his supporters to buy Mr Hegseth’s book after vowing that if he returned to the White House, “the woke stuff will be gone within a period of 24 hours, I can tell you”.

Lethal

A staunch conservative who embraces Mr Trump’s “America First” policies, the 44-year-old Mr Hegseth has pushed for making the military more lethal. During an interview on The Shawn Ryan Show podcast, he said allowing women to serve in combat damages efforts to that end.

“Everything about men and women serving together makes the situation more complicated, and complication in combat, that means casualties are worse,” Mr Hegseth said.

And while he said diversity in the military is a strength, he said this was because minority and white men “can perform similarly” – but added the same is not true for women.

While Mr Trump lauded Mr Hegseth as “tough, smart and a true believer in America First”, others were quick to point to the TV personality’s lack of experience, with some suggesting he could be Pentagon chief in name only as the Trump White House runs the department.

A number of other names floated as possible defence choices had included representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg; Iowa Senator Joni Ernst; and Robert Wilkie, a former Pentagon official who was head of Veterans Affairs in Mr Trump’s first term.

“There is reason for concern that this is not a person who is a serious enough policymaker, serious enough policy implementer, to do a successful job,” said representative Adam Smith of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

Difficult

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said Mr Hegseth’s lack of senior national security experience makes it more difficult to get US Senate confirmation.

“I think Trump was tired of fighting with his secretaries of defence and picked one who would be loyal to him,” Mr Cancian said.

Military officials said the choice came out of the blue. A senior military officer said Mr Hegseth’s selection is raising concerns about whether he has the practical experience to manage a large department with an enormous budget.

The US Defence Department has a budget exceeding 800 billion dollars (£625 billion), with about 1.3 million active-duty troops and another 1.4 million in the National Guard, Reserves and civilian employees based worldwide.

If confirmed, Mr Hegseth would face a daunting array of global crises, from the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and the expanding alliance between Russia and North Korea to the growing competition with China.

There is also the need to upgrade the complex US missile and nuclear defence apparatus and ensure the defence industry can keep up with America’s need for weapons systems.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Mr Hegseth brings a lot to the table and will be “reform-minded in the areas that need reform”.

Mr Hegseth has been a contributor since 2014 for Fox News, developing a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on his show. He is the author of The War On Warriors: Behind The Betrayal Of The Men Who Keep Us Free.

Mr Trump said in a statement: “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.

“Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”


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Rob
Rob
19 days ago

I’m concerned about Vivek Ramaswamy being in the new Trump administration. Someone who would allow Putin to have Ukraine in exchange for Russia ending its alliance with China. Someone who has advocated the US invading Mexico in order to fight the drug cartels, and someone who wants the voting age put up to 25 unless you serve in the military beforehand. Reminds me of Starship Troopers, ‘Service guarantees citizenship’. And yet there are still people who say ‘Oh but Trump never started any wars did he.’ With Elon Musk being appointed into the new Trump administration as well the US… Read more »

Last edited 19 days ago by Rob
Jonathan Edwards
Jonathan Edwards
19 days ago
Reply to  Rob

Hegseth got 2 Bronze stars leading infantry in war by the time he was 30. What did you do at this age? I wouldn’t underestimate this man. Because he’s been there, he’s anti-war like Lt.Col.Tulsi Gabbard. I agree he has little experience of DC, but his boss and other seniors do. In Vivek and Musk and others, the US has access to energy, ability and youth and they will power ahead, already are. The UK can’t do this. As for Wales, Drakeford has given us the kind of Wales his Mam would like, peaceful and paid for by England. Sounds… Read more »

Padi Phillips
Padi Phillips
19 days ago

Oh yes, great, put a paid up fascist in charge of the world’s most powerful military. What could possibly go wrong? The guy is clearly a misogynist, which won’t go down well with the women serving in the US Army, and his anti-LGBTQ+ stance will also ruffle feahers. It’s a good job that sernior figures in the Pentagon are preparing for the possibilities of a Trump government and working out how to deal with potentially illegal orders.

Rob
Rob
19 days ago

Quote: Hegseth got 2 Bronze stars leading infantry in war by the time he was 30. What did you do at this age?

So this makes him exempt from criticism does it? What did Trump do in Vietnam? Did he hold back on insulting John McCain’s service, or call war heroes losers and suckers?

he’s anti-war like Lt.Col.Tulsi Gabbard

Appeasing war criminals like Putin is not anti-war, it is rewarding them. Trump talks about going after the Washington establishment, or drain the swamp. What he is actually doing is replacing it with his own swamp.

Padi Phillips
Padi Phillips
19 days ago
Reply to  Rob

Starship Troopers is an allegory on a future USA that has conquered the world but still needs ‘enemies’, a kind of dystopian Star Trek if you like. Starship Troopers warns us about the dangers of fascism, as if that weren’t clear, take a look at the uniforms…

Rob
Rob
19 days ago
Reply to  Padi Phillips

yes your right. Which is exactly what I was thinking when Vivek suggested such as anti-democratic idea.

hdavies15
hdavies15
19 days ago

Is this Trump’s payback to all those senior military people who expressed concern about his judgement ?

Jeff
Jeff
19 days ago

Murdoch getting rewards.

Trump is putting 1 year olds in charge of the sharps bin at a contagious waste depot. Already seeing well qualified staffers high up saying this appointment is awful.

Musk is in for gov cut backs.

And they want to get rid of generals that dont follow trumps orders.

Trump jnr (thicko 1 or thicko 2 I forget) has messaged about the countdown to ukraine getting its support pulled.

Putin is well into this 47.

Alun
Alun
19 days ago

Can he be any worse than career politicians who only know how to play the game?

Jeff
Jeff
18 days ago
Reply to  Alun

Putting a Murdoch chum and beholden to a giant man baby in charge of a nations defence. He has laid out some pretty unsavoury thoughts to date.

Yeah, this is going to go well.

Remember the bit when 45/47 was opining could he send the military after US people? The pentagon is apparently already running the idea of illegal 47 demands and how they can push back.

Duke the Nuke
Duke the Nuke
17 days ago

If MIRV Madness does arrive if you are in the target area when one comes in at least it`s a quick exit. It looks more likely by the day

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