Trump names Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defence secretary pick

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Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ivy League graduate Hegseth has in recent years worked as a conservative commentator. He lives with his wife and seven children in Tennessee.

He has hosted programmes on Fox News, using his platform to draw attention to military and veterans’ issues. He had his last day at Fox on Tuesday.

He is reported by US media to have successfully lobbied Trump during his first presidency to pardon servicemen accused of war crimes.

In his statement announcing Hegseth as his pick for defence secretary on Tuesday, Trump highlighted the former soldier’s education at Princeton and Harvard universities, and his military experience in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – our military will be great again, and America will never back down,” Trump wrote in a post.

The president-elect also drew attention to Hegseth’s work as a published author. He said the book The War on Warrior “reveals the leftwing betrayal of our warriors, and how we must return our military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence”.