Who is Pete Hegseth? These U.S. Senators support Trump's Defense Secretary pick
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and Army National Guard veteran, was his nominee for secretary of defense.
"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."
The 44-year-old is perhaps Trump's most surprising pick as he fills out his cabinet ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration, and the decision caused shock in the Pentagon, where officials privately questioned what qualified him for the position, according to Reuters.
Who is Pete Hegseth?
Hegseth was a co-host of "Fox & Friends" and worked with the network for ten years. He was hired in 2014 and became a co-host in 2017. His final day at the network was on Tuesday, coinciding with the announcement of his nomination.
He participated in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) while attending Princeton and joined the Army National Guard after graduating in 2003. He was subsequently deployed to Guantánamo Bay and later served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as reported by the Associated Press.
He currently lives with his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, a producer for FOX News. They have one child together, and both have three children from their previous marriages.
In 2024, he wrote "The War on Warriors", which spoke about his own military experience and commentary on social issues revolving around the military. According to his website, Hegseth has co-written five books in total.
Who is supporting Hegseth for secretary of defense?
NBC News received comments from various Republican lawmakers on Hegseth's nomination. Many were in full support of Trump's selection; however, others claim to not know much about him.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson of Louisiana said Hegseth is a “great choice” for the position. “Pete brings a lot to the table," he said. "He’s got experience, and I think he’ll be reform-minded in the areas that need reform.”
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said that she was surprised about the nomination. "The names that I’ve heard for secretary of defense have not included him," she said.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, also supported Hegseth. "I think he is going to be a very strong secretary of defense," she said.
“Who?” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., when NBC asked him about the nominee. “I don’t know Pete. I just don’t know anything about him.”
“I was surprised that I didn’t hear his name mentioned," said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma. “But there’s been several people’s names that’s came out of left field, too,” Mullin said. “This is where President Trump is really good about putting people in place.”
Republican Sen. Ted Budd from North Carolina said Hegseth is “an impressive individual” and doesn't see any issue with the Senate confirming the nomination. “Look, there are a lot of great options, and I’m certainly going to support President Trump and his agenda and his nominees,” he said, saying Hegseth “knows how to put a great team around him.”
"I'm not going to be negative right now, because I want to learn more about his background and, you know, and his approach to this stuff, so he'll go through the regular process," said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota.
The confirmation requires a Senate majority of 51 votes. Republicans reclaimed the Senate in the general election, currently having a 53-47 majority.
USA TODAY staffers Tom Vanden Brook and Cybele Mayes-Osterman contributed to the reporting of this story.
Victor Hagan is the Alabama Election Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @TheVictorHagan. To support his work, subscribe to the Advertiser.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Pete Hegseth? Trump taps Fox News host for Defense Secretary