Pete Hegseth’s journey from Fox News to Pentagon and stance on Ukraine

Trump's choice shocked Washington

Trump announced Hegseth's nomination as Secretary of Defense in a post on Truth Social on November 12.

“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.

Thus, if Hegseth is confirmed by Congress, he will replace the current Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin after Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2025.

Western media write that Trump's nomination of a TV host and conservative commentator to head the Pentagon shocked Washington. They expected the candidate to be an experienced legislator or a person with experience in defense policy.

According to Politico, this choice will not help dispel fears in the Pentagon and beyond that Trump, who argued with his defense ministers during his first term, this time plans to appoint a loyal person who will unquestioningly carry out his policies.

According to CNN, Hegseth was not initially among the candidates. However, the channel's sources said that Trump has known Hegseth for a long time and has always considered him smart and was impressed with his career.

Trump also likes the fact that Hegseth is a military veteran, and, as the sources told CNN, the newly elected US president briefly considered him for the post of head of the Department of Veterans Affairs during his previous presidential term.

Who is Pete Hegseth?

Pete Hegseth was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He and his wife Jenny live in Tennessee and have 7 children. The television host and military veteran is a supporter of the America First position (a political position in the United States that usually emphasizes American exceptionalism and non-intervention).

Hegseth attended Forest Lake Area High School and received his bachelor of arts degree from Princeton University in 2003. In 2013, he earned a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

After graduating from Princeton in 2003, Mr. Hegseth worked at Bear Stearns as an equity research analyst. A former National Guard officer, he served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay.

He received two Bronze Stars and the Combat Infantryman's Badge for his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hegseth also served as CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, a veterans' advocacy organization.

He has been active in conservative and Republican politics since his time at Princeton. In 2016, he served as an unofficial adviser to Trump during his first presidential term.

According to open sources, he persuaded Trump to pardon three American soldiers accused or convicted of war crimes related to the shooting of non-combatants in Iraq. Hegseth, who was a platoon leader at Guantanamo Bay during his military service, has been speaking out in defense of the treatment of prisoners held there.

For eight years now, he has been working for Fox News, which is considered to be loyal to the Republicans. There he is a commentator on all major programs, both daytime and prime time. He is also an author of books.

His latest, Battle for the American Mind, spent more than twelve weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, including four consecutive weeks at No. 1. Hegseth's two previous books, American Crusade and Modern Warriors, were also bestsellers.

What he said about Ukraine

Hegseth is a strong supporter of the newly elected US president and has defended Trump's controversial comments on NATO and wars around the world, including in Ukraine.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Trump called Russian dictator Vladimir Putin pretty smart and a genius. Hegseth, on the other hand, defended Trump's comments, saying that he was only trying to troll the American media for allegedly disseminating too much material about Putin.

In the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Hegseth himself called Putin a war criminal who wanted to restore the USSR and advocated for speeding up aid to Kyiv.

Later, in an interview, he called the idea that Russia might attack other countries in Europe after Ukraine overblown. He also shared views that coincide with Trump's skepticism about mutual defense in the NATO military alliance.

In one of his books, Hegseth questioned why America, which has served as Europe's emergency contact number for the last century, should listen to what he described as arrogant and powerless nations asking the US to adhere to outdated and unilateral defense agreements that no longer apply.

After winning the US presidential election, Donald Trump is gradually forming a new team, which may include both supporters and skeptics of helping Ukraine.

However, it is already known who may take key positions in the administration of the US president-elect. In particular, Trump has chosen Congressman Mike Waltz as his national security adviser.

In addition, Florida Senator Mark Rubio may become the next US Secretary of State. John Ratcliffe, a former Republican from the House of Representatives from Texas and former Director of National Intelligence in the previous Trump administration, will be the CIA Director. The Secretary of Homeland Security is Kristi Noem, who is the governor of South Dakota.

Also, billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will head the new Ministry of Government Efficiency for structural reforms.

Sources: Politico, CNN, Axios, data from Wikipedia, and Pete Hegseth's official website.