The person chosen by Mr. Trump for the "hot seat" of the Pentagon

(Dan Tri) - President-elect Donald Trump hopes that choosing Mr. Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host, as Secretary of Defense will make America's opponents "wary".

Mr. Pete Hegseth was chosen by President-elect Donald Trump as US Secretary of Defense (Photo: Getty).

In selecting Fox News host Pete Hegseth to head the Department of Defense , President-elect Donald Trump has chosen a veteran and prominent conservative media figure with a large following. "Pete is tough, smart, and a true believer in America First," Trump said in a statement on November 12. Hegseth, 44, has developed a close relationship with Trump, who also considered him for a position in his first administration. Host As co-host of Fox News ' "Fox & Friends Weekend," Hegseth has been a contributor to the network for a decade. He developed a friendship with Trump through the president-elect's frequent appearances on Fox News . In a statement, a Fox News spokesperson praised Mr. Hegseth's military knowledge, saying that "his insights and analysis, especially on military matters , have resonated deeply with our viewers." Fox News said Mr. Hegseth officially ended his contract with Fox News on November 12 and his final show was last weekend. Mr. Hegseth also wrote several books, some for the network's publications, including "The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free." When announcing Mr. Hegseth's nomination, President-elect Trump praised the book, noting that it "was on the New York Times bestseller list for nine weeks, including two weeks at number one."

Mr. Hegseth interviewed Mr. Trump at the White House in 2017 (Photo: Reuters).

Veteran Mr. Hegseth has a military background, although he has no high-level military or national security experience. After graduating from Princeton University in 2003, Mr. Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry captain in the Army National Guard, serving in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as at Guantanamo Bay. He previously headed Concerned Veterans for America, a group backed by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch, and also ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in Minnesota in 2012. According to his biography on Fox News , he has a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. When Mr. Trump formed his first cabinet after winning the 2016 presidential election, he reportedly considered Mr. Hegseth to run the Department of Veterans Affairs. He again considered Mr. Hegseth when Secretary David Shulkin faced criticism before being removed in 2018. Protecting the troops In 2019, Mr. Hegseth urged Mr. Trump to pardon American service members accused of war crimes. He advocated for the service members on his show, interviewed relatives on Fox News , tweeted that a pardon from Mr. Trump “would be great,” and tagged the accused men in a post about his private lobbying of the president. The effort paid off, with Mr. Trump pardoning a former U.S. special forces commando who was facing trial for killing a suspected Afghan bombmaker that year, as well as a former lieutenant convicted of murder for ordering his troops to shoot at three Afghans, killing two. "Hot seat" of the Pentagon Mr. Hegseth will take over the position of US Secretary of Defense in the context of global crises. Mr. Hegseth will lead the Pentagon when conflicts are erupting on many fronts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, attacks by Iranian proxy forces in the Middle East, moves to promote a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as growing concerns about the close relationship between Russia and North Korea. President-elect Trump said that choosing Mr. Hegseth as Secretary of Defense will make America's adversaries "wary". "Our military will be great again and America will never back down," Mr. Trump affirmed. Hegseth's selection is outside the traditional defense secretary's norm, but he has been a staunch supporter of Trump during his first term, championing his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, supporting his "America First" agenda, trying to bring US troops home and actively addressing the issue of convicted veterans. Once selected by the president-elect, Hegseth's position will need to be confirmed by the Senate. Under the US Constitution, the Senate approves presidential nominations for senior positions, such as in the cabinet and judiciary. While leading the Pentagon is considered a key job in any administration, the defense secretary has been a volatile position in Trump's first term. Five people have held the "hot seat" during Trump's four years in office. Trump's relationships with civilian and military leaders during his first years in office were tense. They struggle to contain, or even simply interpret, social media comments and presidential statements that leave them surprised by sudden policy decisions they are not prepared for.

According to Reuters, Politico, AFP/Dantri.con.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/nguoi-duoc-ong-trump-chon-mat-gui-vang-cho-ghe-nong-lau-nam-goc-20241113103209270.htm