Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and U.S. Army veteran, was chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as secretary of the Department of Defense, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The former infantry captain in the Army National Guard served at Guantanamo Bay and later in Iraq. He also served in Afghanistan with the Minnesota National Guard, returning to active duty in 2012. Hegseth is now in the Individual Ready Reserve after leaving the service branch with the rank of major.
In the last decade, Hegseth has been a commentator on Fox News. His time following his military service also includes working as senior fellow with the Center for the American Experiment, contributor at National Review and CEO of Concerned Veterans for America.
If confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth, who has never held a senior government post, would lead the Pentagon, overseeing the DOD, which had a $850 billion budget in the previous year and almost three million civilian workers and military service members.
In a statement confirming his selection, Trump said, “Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country.”
WSJ reported in the same post that Trump named John Ratcliffe, a former House lawmaker, to lead the CIA.
