Donald Trump’s selection of Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary prompts surprise in Washington

Pete Hegseth has spent the past eight years appearing on a Fox News morning show, defending President-elect Donald Trump and advocating for a conservative cultural shift within the US military. He is now positioned to potentially lead this agenda from the highest office at the Pentagon. On Wednesday, the Republican president-elect announced Hegseth, a television host and veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as his nominee for defense secretary. This role is typically filled by senior civil servants, experienced politicians, and high-level executives. The 44-year-old possesses limited traditional experience for such a significant cabinet position; he would be the second-youngest individual to serve in the office. Nevertheless, if confirmed by the Senate, he could aim to transform the Department of Defense. Just last week, Hegseth stated on a podcast that the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the US’s top military leader, should be dismissed, along with any “general, admiral, whatever that was involved in any of the DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] woke [expletive]”. He also expressed that women should not serve in combat roles, arguing that it had not made the military “more effective” or “more lethal.” He said, “Over human history, men in those positions are more capable.” Reports also indicate he has called for the Defence Department to be renamed the War Department and for a 10-year ban on generals working as defense contractors after leaving the military. These views have garnered Hegseth many conservative supporters, particularly those close to the president-elect. However, some also question his capability to manage an agency considered one of the world’s largest bureaucracies, with a budget nearing $900bn (£708bn). Former Pentagon officials emphasized that this role is one of the most critical appointments a president can make, as the office-holder guides national security decisions and oversees the 2.9 million civilians and military service members who work for the Defence Department globally. Lincoln Bloomfield, who served in the Pentagon under Presidents George W Bush and Ronald Reagan, told the BBC, “I’ve thought before that it was a harder job than the presidency.” Bloomfield added, “Hegseth’s not an old guy. He’s in his prime, so he has all the energy he needs,” noting that the television host was well-educated and a combat veteran. He continued, “But the question is how much does experience help lead to finding solutions? This is a job where every morning there are at least a dozen kinds of fires burning.” It remains unclear how Hegseth will fare during his Senate confirmation process, where he is expected to face hours of intense questioning in hearings. Some officials anticipated a challenging path through the Senate given his concise CV, which does not include extensive work on national security or foreign policy issues. Mara Karlin, a former senior Pentagon official during the Biden administration, said, “This is a job that will involve thousands of hours of advising the president and how, when and under what circumstances to use military force.” She added, “It will involve figuring out how to spend trillions of taxpayer dollars and the care of millions of members of the US military and civilians and their families.” Some lawmakers in Washington DC initially appeared perplexed by Hegseth’s appointment to oversee one of the world’s most complex bureaucracies. Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Wednesday, “I confess I didn’t know who he was until 20 minutes ago.” He further stated, “And he certainly doesn’t seem to have any background whatsoever in (Department of Defence) policy.” Other lawmakers were more direct. When asked about the appointment, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy told NBC News, “Who?” He added, “I don’t know Pete. I just don’t know anything about him.” Hegseth, a co-host of the Fox & Friends weekend show for eight years, was reportedly considered for a position during Trump’s first administration. However, several former military and Pentagon officials indicated that Hegseth was not a well-known figure in the Washington defense community. Ms Karlin stated, “There are different worlds that past secretaries have come from – political people, technocrats, some from Congress – but traditionally they have a pretty decent level of experience with defence, national security issues and foreign policy.” The Princeton and Harvard graduate served as an infantry platoon leader in Guantanamo Bay and Iraq, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He later deployed to Afghanistan as a counterinsurgency instructor in Kabul. Many highlighted Hegseth’s military experience as a potential asset if he were to be confirmed. In a statement announcing his choice, Trump said, “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. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice.” Others, meanwhile, raised concerns regarding Hegseth’s close ties to the president-elect. John Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser, told the BBC that the post of defense secretary should never be a “loyalty appointment.” Bolton stated that the person in the position should be willing to provide honest advice, even if it is unpopular. Bolton, who has grown critical of the president-elect, added, “The question is: Will he be a yes man to Donald Trump or will he behave professionally and with courage the way he did when he was in uniform?” Hegseth has limited experience in politics beyond an unsuccessful run in 2012 for the Republican Senate nomination in Minnesota. Since then, he has largely focused on conservative activism and punditry. He has advocated for privatizing the US government’s agency that aids veterans, but his greatest political success in Washington was during Trump’s first term when he convinced the then-president to pardon several US service members accused of war crimes. The two Army officers pardoned by Trump included one accused of killing a suspected Afghan bombmaker and another who was convicted of murder for directing men to fire upon three Afghans. Still, Hegseth’s appointment to lead the Pentagon marks a departure from previous Republican and Democratic administrations alike. Leon Panetta, who served under former President Barack Obama, was a former CIA director and White House Chief of Staff. Robert Gates, who was appointed by President George W Bush and Obama, worked for the CIA for 27 years. During his first term, Trump himself turned to those with more military and national security experience than Hegseth, such as Secretaries Jim Mattis and Mark Esper, both of whom served for decades in the military and were well known in Washington’s defence community. President Joe Biden chose to appoint a retired four-star general, Secretary Lloyd Austin, who served as the commander of US Central Command and faced some criticism from lawmakers for not informing the White House about undergoing medical procedures while in office. Given the experience of past secretaries, many were quick to argue that Hegseth lacked the necessary credentials. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who leads the Senate military personnel panel, said, “A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense.” She urged her fellow senators not to confirm him. Others, however, rushed to Hegseth’s defence. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said the conservative anchor was a “tireless advocate for America’s soldiers and veterans.” The speaker added, “[H]e brings a fresh perspective to a Pentagon that has lost sight of its mission under Joe Biden. Pete is dedicated to ensuring that our military is focused on lethality and readiness, not woke ideology.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.