The new President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced his choice of candidate for the position of Secretary of Defense. He nominated 44-year-old Pete Hegseth, a Fox News anchor, for this role. informs Reuters.
“I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense in my cabinet…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.
Pete Hegseth has combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is also a graduate of Harvard and Princeton.
In the past, he has criticized NATO allies for their weakness and pointed to China’s growing influence in Asia.
“Obsolete ones, inferior in terms of armaments, were invaded and powerless. Why should America, Europe’s “emergency number” for the last century, listen to complacent and powerless countries asking us to adhere to outdated and one-sided defense agreements that they no longer comply with?“, – he wrote in his book.
Hegseth also emphasized that NATO members do not want to invest in their own security, relying on the help of the United States.
In one of the interviews, Hegseth commented on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, calling it “Putin’s war for the return of his own”.
“If Ukraine can defend itself… great, but I don’t want American intervention to go deep into Europe and make (Putin) feel he’s on the brink“, he said.
In addition, Trump chose Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota, who has previously called military aid to Ukraine a costly strategic mistake that could bring Russia and China closer together, to serve as Homeland Security secretary.
