Fox News personality and Army National Guard member Peter Hegseth’s latest book slamming the military’s embrace of “woke” ideologies helped secure his nomination for secretary of defense by President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump shocked political observers Tuesday night by tapping the “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host – a vocal Trump supporter and advocate for exiling military leadership who enforce diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives – to serve as defense secretary.
Hegseth, who has served tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay as an infantry officer, is the author of “The War on Warriors,” a best-selling book in which the Trump nominee blames the “woke military” for the recruiting crisis facing the nation’s armed services.
“For the past three years – after President Barack Obama poured the social justice foundation – the Pentagon, across all branches, has embraced the social justice message of gender equality, racial diversity, climate stupidity, and the LGBTQA+ alphabet soup in their recruiting pushes” Hegseth wrote in his book, released in June.
“Only one problem: There just aren’t enough lesbians from San Francisco who want to join the 82nd Airborne. Not only do the lesbians not join, but those very same ads turn off the young, patriotic, Christian men who have traditionally filled our ranks.”
Trump touted Hegseth’s book in his announcement, adding that he’s “tough, smart and a true believer in America First.”
“The book reveals the leftwing betrayal of our warriors, and how we must return to our Military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence,” wrote the president-elect, who frequently railed against “woke generals.”
“With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.”
In a podcast with ex-Navy Seal Shawn Ryan, Hegseth said trust between service members and their superiors has been fractured by leaders who cater to the “socially correct garbage.”
“You’ve got to fire the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and obviously, to bring in a new secretary of defense, but any general that was involved, general, admiral, whatever that was involved in any of the DEI woke s–t has to go,” he said in the Nov. 7 episode of “The Shawn Ryan Show.”
“I know there were mistakes made on our tours all over the place. But I, at least for the most part, had a sense that my senior leaders were committed to the completion of the mission for the right reasons, and maybe there were strategic differences and all that other stuff. And it wasn’t always perfect, but now that trust is broken. And you have to re-establish that trust by putting in non nonsense warfighters in those positions who aren’t going to cater to the socially correct garbage.”
The Minnesota native received two Bronze Stars for his service overseas as well as two Army Commendation Medals.
Hegseth still serves in the Minnesota Army National Guard’s Individuals Ready Reserve, according to multiple outlets, and has also served as the head of Concerned Veterans of America – a conservative nonprofit advocacy group.
He had been considered for the position of Veterans Affairs secretary following Trump’s election in 2016, but that job ultimately went to David Shulkin.
Hegseth unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before joining Fox News in 2014.
Congressional rules require nominees to have been out of uniform for at least seven years to serve as the secretary of defense, likely resulting in Hegseth needing a congressional waiver before being confirmed.
