U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Pete Hegseth as the country's Secretary of Defense. He served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and is currently a Fox News anchor.
As Reuters writes, Trump said this last Tuesday, November 12.
"Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First," Trump said in a statement. "With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice - Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down," the agency quoted Trump as saying.
Hegseth is 44 years old. He is a veteran of the U.S. National Guard and, according to information on his website, has served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
It is noted that Hegseth became the most unexpected choice of Trump, who is forming his cabinet. This decision has already caused discussion on the part of the opponents of the new president.
The U.S. Department of Defense believes Trump intends to get rid of officers and civilians he deems disloyal.
In June 2024, Trump said he would fire generals he described as "woke," a term used to describe those focused on racial and social justice. It is used by conservatives to denigrate progressive politics.
Hegseth may become a supporter of such layoffs. In one of his books, he wrote that "the next president of the United States needs to radically overhaul Pentagon senior leadership to make us ready to defend our nation and defeat our enemies." For this, "lots of people need to be fired."
Hegseth also sharply criticized the U.S.’ European NATO allies. Trump's choice could raise even more anxiety among NATO members about what the new White House will mean for the alliance.
According to CNN, Hegseth's choice came as a surprise to Trump's team members, as they did not consider him a likely candidate.
According to CNN's unnamed sources, Trump's choice was influenced by his long-standing relationship with Hegseth.
The president always thought he was smart and was impressed by his career. Trump also likes that Hegseth is a military veteran and that he talks about his service in his book, writes CNN.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on November 12, U.S. President-elect Trump announced Congressman Mike Waltz as his National Security Adviser. In the administration of the current head of the White House, this position is held by Jake Sullivan.
We also wrote that Trump appointed billionaire Elon Musk as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, whose main function will be to reduce budget costs.
Recall that earlier the American mass media named candidates for the main positions in the government of President-elect Trump.
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