Trump taps Fox News personality Pete Hegseth for defence secretary in surprise move

Donald Trump announced he had chosen Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his defence secretary on Tuesday, news of which came as a surprise to many in Washington.

Hegseth, who is best known for being a contributor to Fox News since 2014, was chosen over several other established national security heavy hitters vying for the job, which would see him oversee the world's largest and most powerful military.

Some Republican lawmakers were muted about Trump's pick, but others noted Hegeseth's combat experience as an asset.

Hegseth previously served in the military as an infantry officer for the Army National Guard in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, although he lacks senior military or national security experience.

He was also formerly head of the Concerned Veterans for America, a group backed by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch.

The Fox News personality claims to be steadfastly "anti-woke" and has positioned himself against an all-inclusive army in the past.

Hegeseth has questioned the role of women in combat, saying during an interview on The Shawn Ryan Show podcast that allowing women to serve in combat hurts that effort.

While he claimed men of colour “can perform similarly” to white men, he has insisted that the same isn't true for women.

“Everything about men and women serving together makes the situation more complicated, and complication in combat, that means casualties are worse,” Hegseth said.

These stances, as well as his advocacy for pardoning service members charged with war crimes, indicate that Hegeseth could push for sweeping changes to the US military once in office.

'Interesting' choice

While Trump lauded Hegseth as “tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” his nomination was met with subdued reactions from Republicans, as well as doubt amongst Democrats and some military officials.

Several Democrats were quick to point to the TV personality's lack of experience, implying that Hegseth could be Pentagon chief in name only as Trump's White House runs the department.

“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 Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

Several military officials said the choice came out of the blue. A senior military officer, who spoke won condition of anonymity, said Hegseth's selection raised questions about whether he has the practical experience to manage a large department with an enormous budget.

Some Republicans in the Senate, who would vote on Hegeseth's nomination for him to take on the role, had subdued responses.

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis called the choice “interesting,” and Indiana Senator 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.”

The US Defence Department has a budget exceeding $800 billion (€753,6bn) and around 1.3 million active-duty troops, with another 1.4 million in the National Guard, Reserves and civilian employees based worldwide.

If he makes it to the role, Hegseth would face an array of global crises, from wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, an increasingly friendly alliance between Russia and North Korea and growing competition between the US and China.