Trump picks Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Army veteran, to serve as his secretary of defense.

Trump praised Hegseth in a statement announcing the selection.

“Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country,” Trump said in a Tuesday statement. “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.”

According to CNN, Hegseth’s selection was a surprise, as he was not among those considered as a likely pick by members of Trump’s team.

Sources told CNN that it came down to Trump having a longstanding relationship with Hegseth, noting that the president-elect always thought he was “smart” and was impressed by his career. Trump also likes that Hegseth is a military veteran and the account of his service in his book, the sources said.

Hegseth has a long record in the military, serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, CNN reported.

He has also acted as an informal adviser to Trump for a number of years while he was in and out of office, Trump advisers told CNN. While Hegseth was considered for a number of positions in Trump’s first administration, he was ultimately passed over, they said.