Some lawmakers in Washington DC appeared initially perplexed by Hegseth’s appointment to oversee one of the most complex bureaucracies in the world.
“I confess I didn’t know who he was until 20 minutes ago,” Representative Adam Smith, who serves as the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Wednesday. “And he certainly doesn’t seem to have any background whatsoever in (Department of Defence) policy.”
Other lawmakers were more blunt.
“Who?” Republican Senator Bill Cassidy told NBC News when asked about the appointment. “I don’t know Pete. I just don’t know anything about him.”
A co-host of the Fox & Friends weekend show for eight years, Hegseth was reportedly considered for a post during Trump’s first administration. But several former military and Pentagon officials said that Hegseth was not a known quantity in the Washington defence community.
“There are different worlds that past secretaries have come from – political people, technocrats, some from Congress – but traditionally they have a pretty decent level of experience with defence, national security issues and foreign policy,” Ms Karlin said.
The Princeton and Harvard graduate served as an infantry platoon leader in Guantanamo Bay and Iraq, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He later deployed to Afghanistan as a counterinsurgency instructor in Kabul.
Many pointed to Hegseth’s military experience as a potential aid if he were to be confirmed.
“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. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice.
Others, meanwhile, raised issue with Hegseth’s close ties to the president-elect.
John Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser, told the BBC that the post of defence secretary should never be a “loyalty appointment”.
The person in the position should be willing to provide honest advice, Bolton said, even if it is unpopular.
“The question is: Will he be a yes man to Donald Trump or will he behave professionally and with courage the way he did when he was in uniform?” added Bolton, who has grown critical of the president-elect.