In picking Fox News Channel host Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense , President-elect Donald Trump has selected a military veteran and popular conservative media personality with a large following of his own. Hegseth, 44, has developed a close rapport with Trump, who also reportedly considered him for a post in his first administration. Hegseth has lobbied Trump to release service members accused of war crimes.
Here are a few things to know about Hegseth. Co-host of Fox News Channel's “Fox & Friends Weekend,” Hegseth has been a contributor to the network for a decade. He developed a friendship with Trump through the president-elect's regular appearances on the show.
In a statement, a Fox News spokesperson complimented Hegseth's military knowledge, saying his “insights and analysis especially about the military resonated deeply with our viewers.” He's also written a number of books, several for the network's publishing imprint, including “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.” In announcing Hegseth's nomination, Trump complimented that book, noting its “nine weeks on the New York Times best-sellers list, including two weeks at NUMBER ONE.
” Hegseth has served in the military, although he lacks senior military or national security experience. After graduating from Princeton University in 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as an infantry captain in the Army National Guard, serving overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as .
