Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Fox News host Pete Hegseth will have no problem being confirmed as secretary of defense, even though some have questioned if he’s experienced enough to lead the world’s most powerful military.
“I think he’ll get easily confirmed. I dare any Republican senator to vote against him,” Mr. Chaffetz, who represented Utah as a Republican, told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Wednesday.
“That is not in their best interest,” he said. “And we need to get him in place as soon as possible.”
President-elect Donald Trump announced his decision to nominate Mr. Hegseth on Tuesday.
“Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.”
Mr. Hegseth, a “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host and network contributor for the better part a decade, was an Army National Guard infantry captain who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He unsuccessfully ran for the Minnesota Senate seat in 2012.
A Fox News spokesperson said the network was “proud” of all the work he’s done.
“Pete Hegseth has been an exceptional host on FOX & Friends and FOX Nation and a best-selling author for FOX News Books for nearly a decade,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “His insights and analysis especially about the military resonated deeply with our viewers and made the program the major success that it is today. We are extremely proud of his work at FOX News Media and wish him the best of luck in Washington.”
Some lawmakers have already questioned the choice.
“There is reason for concern that this is not a person who is a serious enough policymaker, serious enough policy implementer, to do a successful job,” Rep. Adam Smith of Washington and the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told The Associated Press.
Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, called the nomination choice “interesting.”
Meanwhile, the top congressman congratulated Mr. Hegseth on being chosen.
Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, posted on X that he’s a “tireless advocate for America’s soldiers and veterans, and he brings a fresh perspective to a Pentagon that has lost sight of its mission under Joe Biden.”
He added, “Pete is dedicated to ensuring that our military is focused on lethality and readiness, not woke ideology.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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