Pete Hegseth Named Defense Secretary by Trump, Pentagon Reacts to Shocking Decision The Pentagon was caught off guard by Donald Trump's...
Pete Hegseth Named Defense Secretary by Trump, Pentagon Reacts to Shocking Decision
The Pentagon was caught off guard by Donald Trump's selection of Pete Hegseth, a national guard veteran and Fox News host, as defense secretary. Hegseth, who has previously advocated for a purge of generals who support “woke” diversity initiatives, has stirred controversy with his views.
He has raised questions about whether Gen. Charles Brown was appointed as chair of the joint chiefs of staff due to his race and accused Brown of embracing "radical left-wing" political views.
Hegseth, a former major in the Minnesota National Guard with experience as a prison guard at Guantánamo Bay and service in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been an outspoken right-wing critic of the military. He has called for the U.S. to provide more weapons to Ukraine to defend against Russia, while also questioning America's NATO membership.
His nomination also resonates with the far-right in Israel, where he has supported territorial expansion and suggested that Jews could rebuild the ancient temple on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, which surrounds the al-Aqsa mosque. In a 2018 speech in Jerusalem, he declared, “There’s no reason why the miracle of the re-establishment of the temple on the Temple Mount is not possible.”
The appointment of Pete Hegseth is unlikely to ease concerns within the Pentagon and beyond, as many fear that Trump, who had conflicts with his previous defense secretaries, intends to place a loyalist in charge who will fully implement his policies. Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail has fueled anxieties that his second term could lead to a swift, divisive overhaul of the Pentagon.
Trump's return is expected to roll back many policies from the Biden administration, including potentially reinstating a ban on transgender troops, ending abortion-related travel policies, revisiting debates over Confederate-named military bases, cutting diversity programs, and using troops domestically to manage civil unrest and challenge political opponents.
During the latter part of his first term, Trump also ordered the withdrawal of thousands of U.S. troops from Germany, an initiative the Pentagon struggled to execute due to time constraints.
Hegseth’s nomination has sparked immediate criticism from veteran groups who had opposed his candidacy for Veterans Affairs secretary during Trump’s first term. He previously served as the executive director of Vets for Freedom and as CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, an organization advocating for the outsourcing of veterans' healthcare, which was backed by the Koch brothers.
There are growing concerns within the upper echelons of the U.S. military that Pete Hegseth could assist Trump in seeking retribution against generals and senior officers who were perceived as disloyal during his first term. One of the most prominent figures feared to be targeted is Mark Milley, a retired general and former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who resisted Trump’s push to deploy troops against protesters. Reports suggest that Milley is concerned about being recalled to active duty by Trump with the intent of facing a court-martial.
Milley recently shared with journalist and author Bob Woodward that he now views Trump as a "fascist to the core," further highlighting the deepening rift between the two.
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