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Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as Secretary of Defense, is receiving strong support on Capitol Hill.
The Trump campaign shared comments from several GOP lawmakers in a news release highlighting growing backing for Hegseth.
“Pete Hegseth is a strong nominee to lead the Department of Defense. We had an excellent discussion about the need for America’s military to remain the best in the world,” Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso wrote.
“That means taking care of our service members, equipping them with the latest technology, and focusing on making our military the most lethal force on the planet. Pete pledged that the Pentagon will focus on strength and hard power — not the current administration’s woke political agenda,” he added.
Tennessee Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty also posted his support for Hegseth in a series of posts on X.
“I had an outstanding meeting with Pete Hegseth, a decorated combat veteran who put his own life on the line for America,” he wrote.
“Pete knows that the Defense Secretary’s job is to empower the men and women of our military to carry out their patriotic duty, not consign them to serve as political pawns in a broken Washington. A great choice by @realDonaldTrump to change Washington, and I look forward to supporting his confirmation,” Hagerty said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also included his support in the Trump campaign statement.
“Pete brings a lot to the table. He’s got experience, and I think he’ll be reform-minded in the areas that need reform,” Johnson wrote.
Trump shared the announcement of Hegseth’s nomination on Nov. 12 in a post on his Truth Social account.
“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…” he added.
Hegseth co-hosted Sunday’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and served as a contributor since 2014. He began co-hosting the show regularly in late 2016 and was officially named to the role in January 2017, according to the network.