President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense.
Trump made the announcement Tuesday evening on his Truth Social platform.
Trump cited Hegseth’s experience as a veteran and his media experience as reasons for his choice.
Host Pete Hegseth during “FOX & Friends” at Fox News Channel Studios on May 27, 2022 in New York.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
“Pete is tough, smart, and a staunch supporter of America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies know: our military will be great again and America will never back down ” Trump said in his message.
Hegseth, 44, did not immediately comment on the announcement.
Hegseth graduated from Princeton University in 2003, where he published a conservative student publication, then served as an infantry officer in the U.S. National Guard and was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan. He also earned a master’s degree in 2014 from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Hegseth served as executive director of the advocacy group Concerned Veterans for America, which has called for more privatization of the Veterans Administration.
Hegseth joined FOX News in 2014 as a FOX contributor and co-host & Friends Weekend and provides commentary on the network’s other programs, where he has consistently criticized Democrats on a variety of topics ranging from LGBTQ issues to foreign policy.
