Three years of reporting, funded by our readers — become a member now and help us prepare for 2025.
Goal: 1,000 new members for our birthday. Gift a membership to your friend and help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.
Become a member Gift membership
Skip to content
Edit post

Hegseth's nomination for defense secretary 'shocks' Pentagon officials, Politico reports

by Kateryna Hodunova and The Kyiv Independent news desk November 14, 2024 6:48 PM 2 min read
Fox anchor Pete Hegseth interviews entrepreneur and venture capitalist Peter Thiel during "FOX & Friends" at Fox News Channel Studios on Aug. 09, 2019 in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Pentagon officials are "shocked" and "alarmed" by President-elect Donald Trump's decision to nominate Fox News anchor and veteran Pete Hegseth as U.S. defense secretary, Politico reported on Nov. 13.

Trump named Hegseth the incoming U.S. defense secretary on Nov. 12. If approved by Congress, Hegseth will replace current Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin following Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.

Hegseth would lead 1.3 million troops and over 750,000 civilians, hold meetings with U.S. allies, and develop options for strikes against the Islamic State and Iranian proxies, according to Politico.

The Pentagon is concerned that while Hegseth has military experience, he has never run a large organization, Politico reported, citing six undisclosed current and former Pentagon officials.

"Would you trust him to run Walmart?" said a former Defense Department official. "Because that's how many employees we have."

"Folks are shocked," said a current Defense Department official. "He's just a Fox News personality that’s never worked in the government."

The sources, who spoke to Politico on condition of anonymity, doubt that Hegseth will be able to manage "a complex bureaucratic system" like the Pentagon.

"It's a deadly serious job, and this strikes me as a mainly performative person who is best known for talking about wokeness and not doing anything meaningful on national security post serving in the military," said another Defense Department official.

"It is a massive bureaucracy, you have to understand how that works to support national security around the globe," the official added. "It is tedious and challenging, and it is not at all related to getting on Fox News and pontificating."

According to current and former officials, the appointment of Hegseth could "scare off" candidates for over 80 other positions in the department that the Senate approves.

Several foreign diplomats told the media they rushed to order Hegseth's latest book online after his nomination, as allies tried to get to know a man "they had never heard of and had no idea what his priorities might be."

Hegseth, 44, previously served as an infantry captain in the Army National Guard, doing multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Hegseth is the former head of the conservative organization Concerned Veterans for America and, in June 2024, released a book titled "The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free."

Hegseth also unsuccessfully ran as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota in 2012.

Up until Nov. 12, Hegseth co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend, a morning news and talk show that Trump would call into regularly. Hegseth has also appeared as a regular contributor to the Fox News Channel, a U.S. network with a strong conservative bent.

What do Trump’s first team picks mean for Ukraine?
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s first team picks have both positive and negative implications for Ukraine, with Kyiv left guessing what kind of policy they will pursue, according to Ukrainian and Western analysts. Some appointments seem to lean in Kyiv’s favor, while others hint at a more Mosco…
Three years of reporting, funded by our readers.
Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 10,000 readers makes a financial contribution. Thanks to our community we've been able to keep our reporting free and accessible to everyone. For our third birthday, we're looking for 1,000 new members to help fund our mission and to help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.
Three years. Millions of readers. All thanks to 12,000 supporters.
It’s thanks to readers like you that we can celebrate another birthday this November. We’re looking for another 1,000 members to help fund our mission, keep our journalism accessible for all, and prepare for whatever 2025 might bring. Consider gifting a membership today or help us spread the word.
Help us get 1,000 new members!
Become a member Gift membership
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

11:54 PM

Biden seeks to cancel over $4.5 billion in Ukraine's debt.

"We have taken the step that was outlined in the law to cancel those loans, provide that economic assistance to Ukraine, and now Congress is welcome to take it up if they wish," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Nov. 20.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.