Headline Roundup • November 13th, 2024
Trump Nominates Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Fox News host, author, and military veteran Pete Hegseth as the next Secretary of Defense.
Key Details: The 44-year-old Hegseth is a staunch conservative who embraces Trump's "America First" policies. He has been an ardent opponent of "woke" policies within the US military, and also reportedly successfully lobbied then-president Trump to pardon service members accused of war crimes.
Key Quotes: “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 in a statement. Congressman Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said, “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."
For Context: Hegseth's pick is a sign that Trump wants to roll back several Biden administration policies, such as reinstating a ban on transgender troops, slashing diversity programs, and reigniting battles over military bases named for Confederate figures. If confirmed, Hegseth would face global crises such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the expanding alliance between Russia and North Korea.
How the Media Covered it: Politico (Lean Left bias) noted that Hegseth's selection drew swift backlash from veterans groups such as the Independent Veterans of America, who opposed Hegseth when his name was floated during Trump's first term for Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) reported that Hegseth may be the "toughest Trump nominee pick" to get confirmed by the Senate.
Featured Coverage of this Story
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US President-elect Donald Trump has named Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host, author and military veteran, as his pick for defence secretary.
Hegseth, 44, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, will be responsible for the world's most powerful military in his first political role.
Announcing his choice on Tuesday, Trump described him as "tough, smart and a true believer in America First".
The news came on the same day Trump announced another political newcomer, billionaire Elon Musk, would take a government cost-cutting role.
Trump's administration is taking shape after his...
U.S. Marine Corps image by Staff Sgt. Theodore Bergan
President-elect Donald Trump’s Tuesday night surprise pick of a conservative commentator and television host as his Pentagon chief shocked Washington, which had expected the nominee to be a seasoned lawmaker or someone with defense policy experience.
National security officials and defense analysts had braced for surprises from Trump after experiencing his first four years in office. But even grading on that curve, they say the announcement of Fox News host and decorated Army veteran Pete Hegseth caught them totally off-guard.
“[Trump] puts the highest value on loyalty,” Eric Edelman, who...
Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
I don’t possess even a smidgen of John Noonan’s national security expertise, but I nevertheless wish to agree with his post here on the Corner regarding the nomination of Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. From my perspective, Hegseth is a fine pick. I hope the Senate will agree.
As John notes, it’s rather churlish to describe Hegseth as merely “a guy on TV,” as so many commentators have. He went to Princeton and Harvard. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan, winning two bronze stars in the process. He has experience in...
