The newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, has nominated a media personality to serve as the Secretary of Defense. This move has shocked the Pentagon and the American media, who are surprised by this “unconventional choice.”
On Tuesday, Trump nominated Pete Hegseth, a host from Fox News, to be the Secretary of Defense. In a statement, Trump said, “Pete has been a warrior for the military and the country his entire life. He is strong, smart, and firmly believes in putting America first.”
“With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies will understand – our military will be great again, and America will never back down.”
During an interview on the podcast “The Shawn Ryan Show,” Hegseth mentioned that allowing women in combat roles would harm the fighting capabilities of the military. He stated that having a mix of men and women in service would complicate the situation and make combat more complex, resulting in more casualties.
While acknowledging the advantages of diversity in the military, Hegseth also said that it’s due to minorities and white men having “similar performance,” whereas women do not.
According to Bloomberg, the Pentagon has always maintained a stance of being politically neutral, but the second Trump administration may attempt to implement a “thorough reform” within the Pentagon.
The Trump transition team is considering an executive order that would establish a Warrior Committee composed of retired senior military officers. This committee would have the authority to review three and four-star officers and recommend the removal of any personnel deemed unfit for leadership positions.
A draft of the order seen by The Wall Street Journal indicates that if approved by Trump, it could lead to the swift removal of generals and admirals found lacking in essential leadership qualities. Trump had hinted at this move during a campaign event in October.
The purpose of this executive order draft is to establish a review system focusing on leadership abilities, strategic readiness, and commitment to military excellence, although it does not outline specific criteria that officers need to meet or present to demonstrate their compliance with these standards.