Fox News’ Pete Hegseth picked by Trump for defense secretary : NPR

President-elect Donald Trump has introduced he’ll nominate Fox Information host Pete Hegseth to function secretary of protection.

“Pete is hard, sensible and a real believer in America First,” Trump stated. “With Pete on the helm, America’s enemies are on discover – Our Army will likely be Nice Once more, and America will By no means Again Down.”

Hegseth is a veteran of the Military Nationwide Guard, the place he did excursions of obligation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay as an infantry officer. Throughout his navy service, he was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Fight Infantryman Badge.

Hegseth ran a short-lived Senate marketing campaign in his residence state of Minnesota in 2012, earlier than dropping out. He was additionally CEO of Involved Veterans for America, a veteran advocacy group, previous to becoming a member of Fox Information as a contributor in 2014. On the community, he has helmed a number of packages, most notably internet hosting “Fox & Associates Weekend.”

Whereas some present and former Fox Information personalities have voiced help for Trump, Hegseth is the primary present worker to be nominated for a place in his administration.

It is an sudden alternative that deviates from most of Trump’s latest workers picks for his White Home, who largely descend from political roles in federal and state governments.

Quite a lot of Republicans on Capitol Hill had been shocked by the announcement following a slate of pretty well-known and well-supported candidates for different nationwide safety positions. One Home Republican Committee chair expressed shock at studying that Hegseth was chosen, saying he was not on the identified record of names into consideration.

Indiana Sen. Todd Younger was additionally unaware of Hegseth, saying “I haven’t got a way of his background or his imaginative and prescient for the division.” However he stated he needed to present all of Trump’s nominees a good alternative to be heard.

That stated, Trump has targeted his consideration on appointing loyal allies to positions of energy inside his incoming administration. In a press release, he praised Hegseth’s profession, together with his work on Fox, saying he used his “platform to battle for our Army and Veterans.”

Hegseth has additionally written a number of books targeted on conservative causes, most just lately “The Warfare on Warriors,” which, in a blurb on his web site, states, “We’ve just one Pentagon. Both we take it again or give up it altogether.”

Fox Information praised Hegseth in a press release: “Pete Hegseth has been an distinctive host on FOX & Associates and FOX Nation and a best-selling writer for FOX Information Books for practically a decade.”

“His insights and evaluation particularly in regards to the navy resonated deeply with our viewers and made this system the most important success that it’s at this time. We’re extraordinarily pleased with his work at FOX Information Media and need him the perfect of luck in Washington,” the assertion continued.

Deirdre Walsh and Claudia Grisales contributed reporting.