Trump’s Pentagon pick aims for clash with top military leadership

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary Pete Hegseth has railed against women in combat, voiced support for troops accused and in some instances, convicted of war crimes, and advocated for the firing of the military’s most senior officers accused of supporting so-called “woke” policies.

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary Pete Hegseth has railed against women in combat, voiced support for troops accused and in some instances, convicted of war crimes, and advocated for the firing of the military’s most senior officers accused of supporting so-called woke policies. Though he has pushed his positions primarily from a Fox News sofa and in best-selling books, Trump’s decision to catapult Hegseth into the top Pentagon job means he is set to put his ideas into action and clash directly with current Pentagon leadership. Among the generals that Hegseth has suggested should be fired: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. CQ Brown. The announcement of Hegseth — an Army National Guard veteran and Bronze Star recipient, and Fox News host — took many by surprise both inside the Pentagon and even among Trump allies. It was the first of several Cabinet picks made this week that Trump allies and adversaries alike described as “shocking” – all signs that the president-elect intends to rattle all branches of the federal government in his second term – including the military. Hegseth’s unconventional background for such a pivotal national security role means he could face a difficult confirmation process in the Senate. While Hegseth has commented on several hot-topic foreign policy issues, including competition with China and the war in Ukraine, he has largely fashioned himself as a crusader against what many on the right perceive as the politicization of the military.