U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has picked as his secretary of defense Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and veteran who has expressed disdain for the so-called "woke" policies of Pentagon leaders including its top military officer.
Hegseth, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, could make good on Trump's campaign promises to rid the U.S. military of generals who he accuses of pursuing progressive policies on diversity in the ranks that conservatives have rallied against.
It could also set up a collision course between Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, a former fighter pilot with command experience in the Pacific and the Middle East, who Hegseth accused of "pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians."
The 44-year old NATO-skeptic is perhaps Trump's most surprising pick as he fills out his cabinet ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration, and the decision drew swift condemnation from some of Trump's opponents.
"The job of Secretary of Defense should not be an entry-level position," Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said on X.
Trump, announcing his decision, praised Hegseth, who is an Army National Guard veteran and according to his website served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First," Trump said in a statement. "With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice - Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down."
There is already anxiety in the Pentagon that Trump aims to root out military officers and career civil servants he perceives to be disloyal.
Culture war issues could be a trigger for firings.
Trump told Fox News in June he would fire generals he described as "woke," a term for those focused on racial and social justice but which is used by conservatives to disparage progressive policies.
Hegseth could be an advocate for such firings.
