TOI Correspondent from Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named a heavily-tattooed mid-level ex-soldier turned Fox News host Pete Hegseth as the in-coming defence secretary, as he continued to choose nominees from the MAGA right field for top jobs in his incoming administration.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and former Texas congressman John Ratcliffe were also named as the US ambassador to Israel in his first year as the CIA director.
Huckabee is fervently in favor of Israel, and Hegseth and Ratcliffe are both strong supporters of the West Bank, which makes up much of Palestine.
Trump’s choice of 44-year-old Hegseth as defense secretary, which had traditionally been left to traditional establishment veterans with extensive experience in military and strategic matters, including during his first term, shocked the capital. He selected a four-star general, James Mattis and an Army secretary, Mark Esper, to lead the Pentagon. Two people were killed as a result of the Trump One administration’s high turnover, Mattis resigns, and Esper is later fired.
Hegseth, a relative lightweight, is a fire-brand provocateur who served combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq as a captain and platoon leader, before cycling through think-tanks and advocacy groups, and finally becoming a Fox News host.
Trump critics claimed that Hegseth’s only motivation for being appointed defense secretary is “because he’s on Fox News, and that’s what Donald Trump’s picks are based on.” He has recently made a number of controversial remarks, including one calling for the dismissal of “woke generals” and opposing female military combat positions.
He is also heavily tattooed, bearing several across his arms and chest, including one of the Jerusalem cross, which has perceived links to Christian nationalism. One tattoo emblazoned across his arm says” We The People” and on his bicep is the phrase” Deus Vult”– God Willing, a battlecry for Christians during the First Crusade.
Capitals will be interested in Hegseth’s remarks regarding China, which will pique interest as a result of Trump’s pledge to avoid wars. He claimed in a sarcastic podcast that while Beijing was explicitly building a military to defeat the United States, Washington was unaware of China’s growing power. ” The Pentagon runs perfect war game simulations. We lose every time to China … They’re building an army… We have our heads up our asses”, he said.
Hegseth’s choice for defense and Ratcliffe for the CIA also stoked rumors and lobbying by their supporters that Kash Patel, a former Democratic lawmaker turned Trump supporter, and Tulsi Gabbard, a former state senator, were both candidates for the two positions.
