President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday evening that he has nominated Fox News host and Army combat veteran Pete Hegseth to serve in his cabinet as Secretary of Defense.
Hegseth served as an Infantry Officer in the Army National Guard, serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay. He holds two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge for his time in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In addition to his current television career at Fox News for eight years, Hegseth, who lives in Williamson County with his wife and children, is also a #1 New York Times bestselling author.
Hegseth also held the positions of CEO for Concerned Veterans for America, a nationwide veterans advocacy organization, and executive director of Vets For Freedom, a political advocacy organization.
“Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. 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,” Trump added.
As secretary of defense, Hegseth will oversee the Defense Department and acts as the principal defense policymaker and adviser.
Hegseth’s addition to Trump’s cabinet is one of six announcements the president-elect made about personnel nominated to serve in his incoming administration.
In addition to Hegseth’s nomination on Tuesday, Trump also nominated former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); attorney William Joseph McGinley to serve as White House Counsel; businessman Steven C. Witkoff to serve as Special Envoy to the Middle East; former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Israel; and U.S. Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL-06) to serve as National Security Advisor.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
