Trump taps conservative media pundit Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary

Fox News host Pete Hegseth will lead the nation’s military as the next Defense secretary, incoming President Donald Trump announced Tuesday in a surprise move that elevates an unorthodox candidate to one of the most prominent positions in American government.

"With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice - Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down," Trump said in a statement Tuesday night.

In announcing Hegseth's selection, Trump noted he is "an Army Combat Veteran who did tours in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan."

The Defense secretary position requires Senate confirmation. Trump's announcement is an indication that he intends to nominate Hegseth for Senate approval.

Hegseth, 44, is largely known for his eight years on Fox News, making him an unusual pick to lead a fighting force of more than two million service members.

Hegseth joined the Army ROTC in college and the Army National Guard after graduating, according to a 2022 article in Reserve + National Guard Magazine. He deployed overseas with the National Guard and remains part of the Individual Ready Reserve.

An Army Times article describes Hegseth's experience as "radically different" from recent secretaries, noting Secretary Lloyd Austin and former Secretary James Mattis came to job after serving as high-ranking officers in senior command positions. Former Secretary Mark Esper, who served between Mattis and Austin, was Army secretary before leading the Defense Department.

Hegseth also has been involved in conservative politics and wrote a book "The War on Warriors." Trump lauded the book in his statement as revealing "the leftwing betrayal of our Warriors, and how we must return our Military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence."

Trump's early picks to fill out his administration have mostly been mainstream GOP figures with considerable government experience. In elevating a conservative TV personality to his Cabinet, Trump is stepping outside the traditional mold for government service.

Hegseth served in the the U.S. Army National Guard. He also had led veteran's advocacy groups. In 2012 he briefly ran for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota as a Republican.

Hegseth graduated from Princeton University in 2003 and has a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, although a biography on his website says he "mailed this degree back to Harvard!" He received two Bronze Stars and the Combat Infantryman's Badge.

Hegseth co-hosts "Fox & Friends Weekend" and has been a guest host on the channel's other signature shows. He has written or co-written five books, according to his website, which describes him as a "husband, father, patriot and a Christian."

The biography states that Hegseth lives in Tennessee with his wife Jenny. They have seven children.

Trump considered Hegseth to run the Veteran's Administration during his first term as president. Hegseth led the veteran's advocacy groups Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America and has been a critic of the VA.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fox host and combat vet Pete Hegseth gets nod for Defense Secretary