Trump nominates Pete Hegseth to serve as defense secretary

"I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense. Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First," Trump said in a statement. 

"Pete Hegseth has been an exceptional host on 'FOX & Friends' and FOX Nation and a bestselling author for FOX News Books for nearly a decade," a spokesperson for FOX News Media 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."

He is also the author of the FOX News Books bestseller "Modern Warriors," which also debuted as a New York Times bestseller in 2020.

Hegseth's nomination came despite not having any senior military or national security experience.

While serving in the Army, the Princeton and Harvard graduate was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman's Badge, awarded to infantry soldiers who participate in active combat.

"Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice - Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down," Trump said. "Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our 'Peace through Strength' policy."

After graduating from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as an officer in the National Guard. He also has a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

He deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba with the New Jersey Army National Guard. He then deployed to Iraq as an infantry officer and Afghanistan as a counterinsurgency instructor.

Hegseth has criticized efforts by the military to incorporate women into combat roles and diversity programs and has accused military leaders of lowering standards.

"Everything about men and women serving together makes the situation more complicated, and complication in combat, means casualties are worse," Hegseth said last week on "The Shawn Ryan Show" where he talked about his book.

"Either you're in for warfighting and that's it. That's the only litmus test we care about," he added. "You've got to get DEI and CRT out of military academies so you're not training young officers to be baptized in this type of thinking."

Following his 2016 win, Trump reportedly considered Hegseth to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, one of the largest federal agencies, and considered him again when Secretary David Shulkin was ousted in 2018. 

In 2012, he briefly ran against other Republicans in an effort to unseat Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. 

Upon hearing the news of Hegseth's nomination, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said, "Really? I'd have to think about it." 

"I was sitting next to two Marines, so they were thinking it was great," he said. "And, yeah, we're looking forward to it. I want to get to know him better in that role."

Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran who was selected to be Trump's national security adviser, praised the selection. 

"The Pentagon is in need of real reform, and they're getting a leader who has the grit to make it happen," he wrote on X. "Congratulations to my friend @PeteHegseth - a combat decorated veteran - and let's re-establish deterrence through America's strength!"

Speaking to reporters, Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., called Hegseth "an amazing individual."

Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on the other hand, described Hegseth as unqualified to oversee the nation's defense agencies. 

"A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense," she wrote on X. "I lead the Senate military personnel panel. All three of my brothers served in uniform. I respect every one of our servicemembers. Donald Trump's pick will make us less safe and must be rejected."

During Trump's first term as president, five men served as his secretary of defense. They either resigned, were fired or served briefly as a stopgap.