President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, said in a Dec. 9 interview that if confirmed in the role, he will focus on overhauling the United States military and returning the “Pentagon to the warfighters.”
Hegseth said that Trump told him to “return the Pentagon to the warfighters, Pete, get in there and clean out all the social justice and politically correct garbage ... get back to lethality, war-fighting, accountability, meritocracy, and readiness.”
Hegseth said that’s what 95 percent of the people in the Pentagon and those who wear the uniform want.
“When you return to that, it changes the culture of an institution, that now stands up straight, you address that recruiting crisis, you address that retention crisis,” Hegseth said.
According to Hegseth, since Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, families have contacted him saying their kids want to serve in the military again.
“Then the rest of the world takes notice of that. I’m not going to get ahead of the president on policy or what our posture will be, but we will be strong, and we will have peace through strength ... and we will put America first,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth has denied the assault allegations and said he had a consensual affair. Sources that have alleged wrongdoing at Fox News have been anonymous.
“This is what the left does Sean, it’s an anatomy of a smear. They take something and they add anonymous sources and contortions and flat-out lies, then they try you in the media,” Hegseth told Hannity.
Hegseth is a former Army National Guard officer and a former director of several veterans’ groups. He was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 12. Hegseth ended his contract with Fox News following the nomination.
