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Trump's Defense Choice Stuns 11/13 06:20
President-elect Donald Trump stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense
world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense
secretary, tapping someone largely inexperienced and untested on the global
stage to take over the world's largest and most powerful military.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President-elect Donald Trump stunned the Pentagon and the
broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his
defense secretary, tapping someone largely inexperienced and untested on the
global stage to take over the world's largest and most powerful military.
The news was met with bewilderment and worry among many in Washington as
Trump passed on a number of established national security heavy-hitters and
chose an Army National Guard captain well known in conservative circles as a
co-host of Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends Weekend."
While some Republican lawmakers had a muted response to the announcement,
others called his combat experience an asset or said he was "tremendously
capable."
Hegseth's choice could bring sweeping changes to the military. He has made
it clear on his show and in interviews that, like Trump, he is opposed to
"woke" programs that promote equity and inclusion. He also has questioned the
role of women in combat and advocated pardoning service members charged with
war crimes.
In June, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump encouraged his supporters to buy
Hegseth's book and said that if he won the presidency, "The woke stuff will be
gone within a period of 24 hours. I can tell you."
The 44-year-old Hegseth, a staunch conservative who embraces Trump's
"America First" policies, has pushed for making the military more lethal.
During an interview on "The Shawn Ryan Show" podcast, he said allowing women to
serve in combat hurts that effort.
"Everything about men and women serving together makes the situation more
complicated, and complication in combat, that means casualties are worse,"
Hegseth said.
And while he said diversity in the military is a strength, he said it was
because minority and white men can perform similarly but the same isn't true
for women.
By opening combat slots to women, "we've changed the standards in putting
them there, which means you've changed the capability of that unit," Hegseth
said in the podcast interview.
Since then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter opened all combat roles to women in
2016, women have successfully passed the military's grueling tests to become
Green Berets and Army Rangers, and the Naval Special Warfare's test to serve as
a combatant-craft crewman -- the boat operators who transport Navy SEALs and
conduct their own classified missions at sea.
While Trump lauded Hegseth as "tough, smart and a true believer in America
First," others were quick to point to the TV personality's lack of experience.
Some suggested he could be Pentagon chief in name only as the Trump White House
runs the department.
A number of other names floated as possible defense choices had included
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee;
retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg; Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Robert Wilkie, a
former Pentagon official who was head of the Department of Veterans Affairs in
Trump's first term.
"There is reason for concern that this is not a person who is a serious
enough policymaker, serious enough policy implementer, to do a successful job,"
said Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed
Services Committee.
Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies, said Hegseth's lack of senior national security experience makes it
more difficult to get Senate confirmation.
"I think Trump was tired of fighting with his secretaries of defense and
picked one who would be loyal to him," Cancian said.
Military officials said the choice came out of the blue. A senior military
officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized
to talk to the media, said Hegseth's selection is raising concerns about
whether he has the practical experience to manage a large department with an
enormous budget.
The Defense Department has a budget exceeding $800 billion, with about 1.3
million active-duty troops and another 1.4 million in the National Guard,
Reserves and civilian employees based worldwide.
If confirmed, Hegseth would face a daunting array of global crises, from the
wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and the expanding alliance between Russia
and North Korea to the growing competition with China. There is also the need
to upgrade the complex U.S. missile and nuclear defense apparatus and ensure
the defense industry can keep up with America's need for weapons systems.
Smith said that while Hegseth's combat experience is a plus, running the
Pentagon requires a lot of other skill sets, and his nomination will need some
time for consideration.
"What's your plan? What are you going to do? ... How can you assure us that
that lack of experience, you know, isn't going to make it impossible for you to
do the job?" Smith said. "I think those are questions that need to be answered
over the next couple of months."
Even some Republicans in the Senate, who would vote on his nomination, had a
subdued response.
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis called the choice "interesting." Indiana
Sen. Todd Young, who served in the Marine Corps, said, "I don't know much about
his background or his vision, so I look forward to learning more."
North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven said he's not surprised that Trump chose
Hegseth because Trump is "close to him and likes him and trusts him."
"The guy's obviously tremendously capable, a great communicator," Hoeven
said. "I look forward to getting to know him better."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Hegseth brings a lot to the table
and will be "reform-minded in the areas that need reform."
Hegseth has been a contributor since 2014 for Fox News, developing a
friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on his show. He is the
author of "The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us
Free."
"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. "Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous
and patriotic champion of our 'Peace through Strength' policy."
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