In a series of picks that have silenced, or stunned, critics and cheered MAGA-aligned figures and supporters, President Trump’s outside choice for Secretary of Defense in Army vet Pete Hegseth shows a new set of priorities on the horizon: military readiness, recruitment, and morale.
Barring the failure of Senate Republicans to confirm nominee Hegseth, his selection for the role promises sweeping changes to Biden-Harris administration policies that have demonstrably tanked military recruitment and readiness, whomever is ultimately confirmed in the SecDef role.
News outlets and pundits have critically focused on Hegseth’s recent role at Fox News, though Hegseth, for his part, served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay.
Go Ad-Free, Get Content, Go Premium Today - $1 Trial
He earned two Bronze Stars and ultimately degrees from Princeton and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, before steering veterans groups Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans of America.
Hegseth’s alignment with Trump’s America First agenda in any case shows a new horizon for the Pentagon after a years-long recruitment crisis and a litany of failures.
To say nothing of the disastrous exit from Afghanistan that saw a fleet of attack helicopters fall into Taliban hands, the Abbey Gate attacks in Kabul, the loss in South Carolina of a $100 million F-35 Lightning IIB — the crash site of which the Pentagon couldn’t immediately locate and had to ask for help from the public — and the Chinese spy balloon inexplicably allowed to float across the continental United States for days, the Pentagon has presided over a years-long drop in new recruits.
The crisis has seen the branches fall short of recruiting goals years on end, the Army miss goals and set lower aims in hopes of meeting figures, and the Navy lowering test score standards to open enlistments to more recruits.
Go Ad-Free, Get Content, Go Premium Today - $1 Trial
The elephant in the room leaders have failed to address has been the Pentagon’s embarrassing commitments to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and a more inclusive “woke” U.S. military — with some troops’ combat readiness in question. Though critics have piled on to Hegseth’s rank and role at Fox News, the Biden-Harris administration promoted and hired questionable leadership figures in key roles that have failed to project confidence in the seriousness of U.S. personnel.
Add to that, Biden’s Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin disappeared for three days while he was in the hospital and failed to inform the Biden-Harris administration. The Pentagon’s failure to project confidence in its character has left morale in the tank.
COVID also proved a factor: the Department of Defense’s controversial vaccine mandate chased highly qualified personnel out. Over 8,000 service members left as a result of the diktat, and when the Biden-Harris administration said they could return, just 43 rejoined. The Navy settled a lawsuit with sailors earlier this year over SEALs who were penalized or separated over the jab.
Meanwhile, the debate over Hegseth’s qualifications also benefits from context on potentially compromising or interested relationships among top military brass. In contrast to Hegseth’s advocacy and media career since his service, current SecDef Lloyd Austin previously sat on the board of defense giant Raytheon. Hegseth, as an outsider, may represent a departure from the apparent revolving door between the Pentagon and the defense industry.
Trump for his part has already called for the resignation of senior leadership linked to the Afghanistan exit. In any event, whether ultimately confirmed as Secretary of Defense or not, Trump’s selection in Hegseth indicates a coming earthquake at the Pentagon.