President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate Fox News personality and military veteran Pete Hegseth as the next Secretary of Defense. Trump stated that Hegseth has dedicated his life to serving both the troops and the country, describing him as tough, intelligent, and a committed believer in the “America First” ideology. According to Trump, Hegseth’s leadership would serve as a warning to America’s enemies that the U.S. military will become stronger and that the nation will not back down.
Served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Cuba
At 44, Hegseth, a veteran of the Army National Guard, has served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Generally, defense secretaries have extensive backgrounds as career military or national security officials, such as Lloyd Austin, the current Secretary of Defense, a retired four-star general who served in the Army for 41 years.
Hegseth’s nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.
Pete Hegseth support for service members accused of war crimes
The Fox News personality has consistently shown support for Trump, even defending the actions of those who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He characterized the crowd as freedom lovers who sought to overturn the 2020 election results.
In 2019, Hegseth urged Trump to pardon U.S. service members accused of war crimes. On his show and social media, Hegseth advocated for the servicemen, featuring interviews with their families on Fox News and posting online that Trump’s pardons would be “amazing.” He used social media hashtags with the names of those accused, reportedly lobbying Trump privately.
Trump caved in response to Pete Hegseth campaign
Trump ultimately pardoned several military members in response to this campaign. These included a U.S. Army commando facing trial for the killing of an Afghan bomb-maker and a former Army lieutenant convicted of murder for ordering an attack that killed two Afghan men. Trump also promoted a decorated Navy SEAL convicted of posing with a deceased Islamic State captive in Iraq.
In 2019, reports indicated that Trump intended to pardon servicemen involved in cases involving civilian casualties or detainee deaths. The White House had even prepared the necessary paperwork for these actions before Memorial Day, with Hegseth leading a months-long lobbying campaign to encourage Trump’s support for the accused servicemen.
Private conversations with Trump
Hegseth, an Iraq War veteran and former leader of the conservative group Concerned Veterans for America, had been advocating for Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher. Gallagher was set to face trial on accusations of shooting civilians and fatally stabbing an ISIS fighter receiving medical treatment in 2017.
Hegseth had several private conversations with Trump regarding Gallagher, arguing that the SEAL had been treated unfairly and advising the president to pardon Gallagher and others.
Hegseth’s advocacy appeared effective, as Trump publicly supported Gallagher in March. Additionally, sources noted that Trump, while discussing Gallagher’s treatment, expressed strong frustration over the process. Hegseth’s influence underscored Trump’s reliance on Fox News figures not just for messaging but for policy guidance.
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