President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Defense wrote in a best-selling book that “the next commander in chief will need to clean house” at the Pentagon.
Pete Hegseth, 44, spent the last eight years on a Fox News morning show building a loyal following. In his latest book, “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” Hegseth wrote that generals and service academy leaders advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion policies have weakened the U.S. military. He also wrote that “the next commander in chief will need to clean house.”
U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., the first Green Beret to serve in Congress, said Hegseth has the determination to fix problems at the Pentagon.
“The Pentagon is in need of real reform, and they’re getting a leader who has the grit to make it happen,” Waltz said in a post on X.
Trump called Hegseth a “true believer” in his America First agenda.
“Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country,” Trump wrote. “Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down…”
Trump also said Hegseth would work for U.S. troops.
“Nobody fights harder for the troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘peace through strength’ policy,” Trump said.
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Hegseth would lead the largest and most complex federal agency with an annual budget of $840 billion and 3.4 million military and civilian employees.
Hegseth wants to return the Defense Department back to its predecessor’s name, the War Department. He has also called for a 10-year ban on generals working for defense contractors after leaving the military.
Hegseth was an infantry officer in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021. He graduated from Princeton University in 2003. He was later commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard. He served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay. He left with the rank of major, according to the Army National Guard. Hegseth earned two Bronze Stars, two Army Commendation Medals and the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, among others.
Hegseth has also made controversial comments about women serving in combat roles in the military.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who is also an Iraq war veteran and Purple Heart recipient, has been critical of Hegseth. Duckworth lost both of her legs when the helicopter she was flying was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq.
“We can’t go to war today without our women military members,” she said.
In 2021, women made up 17.3% of the U.S. active-duty force, with 231,741 members; and 21.4% of the National Guard and reserves at 171,000 members, according to the Pentagon.
