Washington, Nov 13 (PTI) US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the nomination of popular Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth, 44, as his defense secretary.
"I am honoured to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense," Trump announced Tuesday night.
"Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our 'Peace through Strength' policy," he said.
"Pete has spent his entire life as a warrior for the troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice," he added.
"Our military will be great again, and America will never back down," Trump declared.
A graduate of Princeton University, Hegseth has a graduate degree from Harvard University. He is an Army combat veteran who did tours in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan. For his actions on the battlefield, he was decorated with two Bronze stars, as well as a Combat Infantryman's badge.
"Pete has been a host at FOX News for eight years, where he used that platform to fight for our military and veterans. Pete's recent book 'The War on Warriors' spent nine weeks on the New York Times best-sellers list, including two weeks at number one," Trump said.
"The book reveals the left wing betrayal of our warriors, and how we must return our military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence. Pete has also led two veterans' advocacy organisations, leading the fight for our warriors, and our great veterans," he added.