Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he will nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth serve as the nation’s Secretary of Defense.
Trump shared the announcement alongside a post on his Truth Social account on Tuesday evening.
“I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense. Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country,” Trump posted to Truth Social.
“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.
Fox News revealed that Hegseth’s last day at Fox was Tuesday. He co-hosted Sunday’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and served as a contributor since 2014. He began co-hosting the show on a regular basis in late 2016 and was officially named to the role in January 2017, according to the network.
“Pete Hegseth has been an exceptional host on ‘FOX & Friends’ and FOX Nation and a bestselling author for FOX News Books for nearly a decade,” a spokesperson for FOX News Media said in a statement.
“His insights and analysis, especially about the military, resonated deeply with our viewers and made the program the major success that it is today. We are extremely proud of his work at FOX News and wish him the best of luck in Washington,” it continued.
Hegseth, 44, is an Army National Guard veteran who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is also the author of the bestselling book “Modern Warriors.”
The announcement came one day after Trump asked Florida Republican Rep. Mike Waltz to serve as the National Security Adviser, multiple outlets reported on Monday evening.
Waltz, 50, is a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran who became the first Green Beret elected to the House of Representatives.
Trump is also expected to name Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, according to multiple outlets and first reported by The New York Times.
Trump named Susie Wiles as his new White House chief of staff on Thursday, making it his first major staffing decision for his second administration, RSBN previously reported.
