'WTF???' Trump Stuns With Defense Secretary Pick: 'Brace Yourself, America'
HuffPost
“Hegseth is undoubtedly the least qualified nominee for SecDef in American history," the leader of a veterans group said.
President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced he will nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be his next secretary of defense, shocking defense circles, critics and even some allies.
Hegseth joined Fox News as a contributor a decade ago, and now co-hosts “Fox & Friends Weekend.” He’s a veteran of the Army National Guard who served in Afghanistan, in Iraq and at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, but lacks senior military or national security experience.
A staunch Trump ally, he’s defended Jan. 6, 2021, rioters, said women should not have combat roles in the military, and successfully pushed for Trump to pardon convicted war criminals in 2019.
Trump’s Truth Social announcement Tuesday night attracted swift backlash from detractors and bewilderment from the defense world, veterans groups, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
“Hegseth is undoubtedly the least qualified nominee for SecDef in American history. And the most overtly political,” Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Independent Veterans of America, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Brace yourself, America.
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“Donald, congratulations,” Biden said, greeting Trump with a handshake and adding that he looked “forward to a smooth transition.”
“Hegseth is undoubtedly the least qualified nominee for SecDef in American history," the leader of a veterans group said.
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