Who is Pete Hegseth, the pro-Israel Fox News host picked to head Pentagon?

United States President-elect Donald Trump has picked Fox News big and subject seasoned Pete Hegseth, a pro-Israel and Iran hawk, to service arsenic his defence secretary, lauding him arsenic “tough, smart and a existent believer successful America First”.

The 44-year-old’s information to lead nan world’s astir powerful subject has travel successful for disapproval from nan Democrats, who pointed retired his “lack of experience” connected nan world stage.

“The occupation of Secretary of Defense should not beryllium an entry-level position,” Representative Adam Smith, nan apical Democrat connected nan House Armed Services Committee, posted connected X.

So, who is Hegseth and will his inexperience travel successful nan measurement of discharging his work arsenic nan Pentagon chief?

Who is Pete Hegseth?

Hegseth, who served Afghanistan and Iraq, joined Fox News arsenic a contributor successful 2014 and now co-hosts Fox and Friends Weekend arsenic good arsenic serves arsenic a big for Fox Nation.

He has besides authored aggregate books, including The War connected Warriors: Behind nan Betrayal of nan Men Who Keep Us Free, which person travel successful for praise from Trump.

The War connected Warriors, a bestseller, “reveals nan leftwing betrayal of our Warriors, and really we must return our Military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence”, nan president-elect wrote, according to nan AFP news agency.

Hegseth defended work members accused of warfare crimes and successful 2019, he urged Trump to pardon US work members who had been accused of warfare crimes. According to The Washington Post, Hegseth’s lobbying of Trump successful 2019 resulted successful nan pardon of 2 work members who were accused of murder, and nan reinstatement of rank of a 3rd who was recovered blameworthy of posing pinch a assemblage successful Iraq.

The 44-year-old developed a relationship pinch Trump, who made regular appearances connected his Fox News show.

He besides unsuccessfully ran for nan Senate successful Minnesota successful 2012.

According to his Fox News bio, he has a master’s grade successful nationalist argumentation from Harvard University’s Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He besides did a graduation from Princeton University.

Hegseth lives pinch his woman and 7 children successful nan confederate authorities of Tennessee.

What was his domiciled successful nan military?

After graduating from Princeton University successful 2003, Hegseth was commissioned arsenic an infantry skipper successful nan Army National Guard, serving overseas successful Afghanistan and Iraq arsenic good arsenic astatine Guantanamo Bay. He was awarded 2 Bronze Star Medals for his subject service, according to his charismatic website.

The 44-year-old seasoned was formerly caput of nan Concerned Veterans for America, a group backed by blimpish billionaires Charles and David Koch.

What challenges dishonesty up of him?

Hegseth has served successful nan military, though he lacks elder subject aliases nationalist information experience.

The Department of Defense has a fund exceeding $800bn, pinch astir 1.3 cardinal active-duty soldiers and different 1.4 cardinal successful nan National Guard, nan Army Reserve and civilian labor worldwide.

If confirmed, Hegseth would look nan daunting task of tackling an array of world conflicts – from nan Israeli warfare connected Gaza and Lebanon to nan Russia-Ukraine warfare – and nan expanding confederation betwixt Russia and North Korea to nan emergence of China.

Smith, nan Democrat, said while Hegseth’s combat acquisition is simply a plus, moving nan Pentagon requires a batch of different accomplishment sets.

“What’s your plan? What are you going to do? … How tin you guarantee america that that deficiency of experience, you know, isn’t going to make it intolerable for you to do nan job?” Smith said.

“I deliberation those are questions that request to beryllium answered complete nan adjacent mates of months.”

While heading nan Pentagon is considered a cardinal occupation successful immoderate administration, nan station of defence caput saw a tumultuous play during Trump’s first word betwixt 2016-2020. Five men held nan occupation during Trump’s 4 years.

What’s his guidelines connected nan Israel-Palestine conflict and Iran?

Hegseth has been pro-Israel successful his sum of warfare connected Gaza and dubbed nan two-state solution a “lip service”. He did a bid – Battle successful nan Holy Land: Israel astatine War – astir nan ongoing Israeli warfare connected Gaza and interviewed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu successful March.

“My question and reply pinch Israeli PM @netanyahu today. Israel needs our support!” he posted connected X successful March.

As an evangelical Christian, he views nan Israel-Palestine conflict done a biblical lens.

“This is not immoderate mysterious onshore that tin beryllium dismissed. It’s nan communicative of God’s chosen people. That communicative didn’t extremity successful 1776 aliases successful 1948 aliases pinch nan founding of nan UN. All of these things still resonate and matter today,” Hegseth said successful a 2016 interview pinch nan Jewish Press.

Hegseth has besides been hawkish towards Iran, calling Tehran “an evil regime” successful nan aftermath of nan sidesplitting of General Qassem Soleimani, nan commandant of nan Quds Force, successful 2020.

Will he motorboat a civilization war?

Hegseth’s prime could bring sweeping changes to nan military, arsenic he has made it clear connected his show and successful interviews that, for illustration Trump, he is stridently opposed to “woke” programmes that beforehand equity and inclusion.

Trump told Fox News successful June he would occurrence generals he described arsenic “woke”, a word for those focused connected group and societal justness but which is utilized by conservatives to disparage progressive policies.

In June, astatine a rally successful Las Vegas, Trump encouraged his supporters to bargain Hegseth’s book aft saying, if he won, “the woke worldly will beryllium gone wrong a play of 24 hours. I tin show you.”

Hegseth wrote successful nan book released successful June: “For nan past 3 years — aft President Barack Obama poured nan societal justness instauration — nan Pentagon, crossed each branches, has embraced nan societal justness messages of gender equity, group diversity, ambiance stupidity, and nan LGBTQA+ alphabet crockery successful their recruiting pushes.”

His blimpish schedule could put him connected a collision people pinch nan president of nan Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General CQ Brown. Hegseth has accused Brown of “pursuing nan extremist positions of left-wing politicians”.

During an question and reply connected The Shawn Ryan Show podcast, he said allowing women to service successful combat hurts that effort.

“Everything astir men and women serving together makes nan business much complicated, and complication successful combat, that intends casualties are worse,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth has said he near nan subject successful 2021 aft being sidelined for his governmental and belief views by an service that did not want him immoderate more.

“The emotion was communal – I didn’t want this Army anymore either,” Hegseth said successful his book The War connected Warriors.

What are his views connected NATO, nan Russia-Ukraine warfare and China?

Hegseth has been sharply captious of nan US’s European friends and his action could substance greater worry successful NATO members astir what a Trump management will mean for nan alliance.

“Outdated, outgunned, invaded, and impotent. Why should America, nan European ’emergency interaction number’ for nan past century, perceive to self-righteous and impotent nations asking america to grant outdated and one-sided defense arrangements they nary longer unrecorded up to?” Hegseth wrote successful his book.

“Maybe if NATO countries really ponied up for their ain defense — but they don’t. They conscionable outcry astir nan rules while gutting their militaries and yelling astatine America for help.”

In appearances connected podcasts and television, he has said China is building a subject “specifically dedicated to defeating nan United States of America”.

“They person a afloat spectrum semipermanent position of not conscionable location but world domination and we are we person our heads up our asses,” Hegseth said connected different podcast past week.

He besides said Russia’s 2022 penetration of Ukraine appeared to beryllium “Putin’s give-me-my-s***-back war”.

Trump has been captious of President Joe Biden’s assistance for Ukraine, fuelling interest astir nan early of support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s authorities nether a Republican-controlled White House, Senate and perchance House of Representatives.

“If Ukraine tin take sides themselves … great, but I don’t want American involution driving heavy into Europe and making (Putin) consciousness for illustration he’s truthful overmuch connected his heels,” Hegseth said.

How has his assignment been received truthful far?

Trump hailed Hegseth arsenic “tough, smart and a existent believer successful America First” successful a societal media station announcing nan nomination.

“With Pete astatine nan helm, America’s enemies are connected announcement – Our Military will beryllium Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,” Trump said successful his statement.

“Nobody fights harder for nan Troops, and Pete will beryllium a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace done Strength’ policy.”

Smith, nan ranking Democrat connected nan House Armed Services Committee, pointed towards his inexperience.

“There is logic for interest that this is not a personification who is simply a superior capable policymaker, superior capable argumentation implementer, to do a successful job.”

Mark Cancian, a elder advisor astatine nan Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, DC-based deliberation tank, said Hegseth’s deficiency of elder nationalist information acquisition makes it much difficult to get Senate confirmation.

“I deliberation Trump was tired of fighting pinch his secretaries of defence and picked 1 who would beryllium loyal to him,” Cancian said.

But Republicans person fixed a thumbs up.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Hegseth brings a batch to nan array and will beryllium “reform-minded successful nan areas that request reform”.