Former Fox News host Peter Brian Hegseth became the U.S. Secretary of Defense on Saturday after being confirmed by the United States Senate on Friday evening. A graduate of Princeton University, Hegseth previously worked as an analyst for Bear Stearns – from 2003 to 2014 and again from 2019 to 2012, he served as an infantry officer with the Minnesota National Guard, rising to the rank of Major.
He received a Bronze Star, the first of two, during a combat deployment to deployment to Iraq in 2005. He was also awarded the Joint Commendation Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), and the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB).
According to his official bio, Mr. Hegseth “participated in a number of active-duty deployments during his time in service, including operations in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan,” while he “served in multiple staff positions in the National Guard.”
The author of five books, Hegseth also served as executive director of Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. He became a political commentator for Fox News in 2014 and was a weekend co-host of Fox & Friends from 2017 until 2024.
The cabinet post of Secretary of Defense was created in 1947 and gives command and authority over the U.S. military second only to that of the president of the United States (the commander-in-chief). To ensure civilian control of the U.S. military, U.S. law prohibits the secretary of defense from having served as an active-duty commissioned officer for at least the preceding seven years; while generals and admirals cannot have served on active duty for 10 years.
As NRP reported, “those who have held it all came from senior positions in politics, industry, or the military.”
Narrow Confirmation
Hegseth was named by then-President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense last November but faced an uphill battle with U.S. lawmakers due to allegations of sexual assault, public drunkenness, and notably questions of financial mismanagement at the two veterans groups.
The Senate voted 50-50, requiring Vice President J.D. Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote. Three Republican lawmakers – Senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine – voted no.
This was just the second time in the Senate’s history that the vice president was required to cast a vote to break the tie. The first time was in 2017, when then-Vice President Mike Pence cast a vote to confirm Betsy DeVos, who was confirmed as secretary of education.
A Disruptor at the DoD
Critics of Hegseth have noted his lack of experience in running a large organization, but he defended his nomination to the post, citing the “dust on his boots” from his combat deployment.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) defended Hegseth’s credentials.
“We must not underestimate the importance of having a top-shelf communicator as secretary of defense. Other than the president, no official plays a larger role in telling the men and women in uniform, Congress, and the public about the threats we face and the need for a peace-through-strength defense policy,” Wicker said.
Hegseth has vowed to be a “disruptor” and even an “agent of change” at the Department of Defense (DoD).
