Trump Picks Fox News Host for Defense Secretary

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

President-elect Trump on Tuesday announced he was choosing Pete Hegseth, an Army veteran and a Fox News host, to serve as Defense secretary.

Posted by jpw at 06:30 PM | 138 COMMENTS | permalink

Comments

Any of you --------- beginning to question your support of this clown show yet?

#1 | Posted by jpw at 2024-11-12 07:57 PM

Now that's just funny.

Now that's just funny.
#2 | POSTED BY REDIAL A

Given the fact that Canada elected Trudeau, your idea of funny is ..... well funny.

Anyhow, Hegseth was a Major in the Army, Princeton undergrad, Harvard graduate degree, 2 Bronze Stars, CIB, ran two Veteran organizations.

Blinken? why he was a lawyer and diplomat.

Which is more qualified, and funny at the same time?

When was Blinken Defense Secretary?

MAGA. One great pick after another great pick. No boxes checked, just qualified people, finally.

When was Blinken Defense Secretary?

He was probably thinking about Lloyd Austin, who was merely a 4-star general and CENTCOM commander.

He was probably thinking about Lloyd Austin, who was merely a 4-star general and CENTCOM commander.

#6 | Posted by REDIAL

Blinken was SoS. Which would be appropriate for a diplomat and lawyer...

MAGA. One great pick after another great pick. No boxes checked, just qualified people, finally.

#5 | Posted by gracieamazed

Has anyone told you lately that you're an idiot?

Trump has announced that John Ratcliffe will be his appointee to be Director of the CIA.

If Ratcliffe is from Florida, FFS.

He was probably thinking about Lloyd Austin, who was merely a 4-star general and CENTCOM commander.
#6 | POSTED BY REDIAL

A four star general that disappeared, told no one and Nn one noticed. Sure he's qualified
thehill.com

But yeah sure the US wants a General as the civilian in charge.

Nice dance, -------.

Just slink away the next time you step on your own dick.

I didn't think it would be this easy for them.

They're turning this place into a complete joke and y'all are like "Hell yeah! MAGA!"

When was Blinken Defense Secretary?

When Austin disappeared? Weren't you paying attention?

Oh yeah and this gem Austin joined the board of Raytheon Technologies, a military contractor, in April 2016.

LOL ------- hell.

No, the deputy defense secretary filled in.

And now it's scandalous that he left and joined a corporate board in MIC.

Jesus Christ you stupid f&^%s are gonna bend over backwards to avoid criticism.

MAGA. One great pick after another great pick. No boxes checked, just qualified people, finally.

#5 | Posted by gracieamazed

hahahahahahahahahahahahaahaahhahahahahahahahaah

lololololloll

Wow Karen.

So.Incredibly.
Stupid.

Did your Russian handler pay you, or pay some poor kid to go down on you?

eww... just ew...

bednaya zolotaya gratsiya izumlena. vy prodali svoikh sobrat'yev-patriotov, chtoby oni vladeli liberalami. ty umresh', kak i vse my. kholod i krovotecheniye iz pryamoy kishki.

smert' magu
smert' magu
smert' magu
smert' magu
smert' magu
smert' magu
smert' magu
smert' magu

One great pick after another great pick.

Most of which will be fired before the midterms. Like the last time.

Qualfied
pbs.twimg.com

Most of which will be fired before the midterms. Like the last time.
#17 | POSTED BY REDIAL

Perhaps, but at least they aren't lobbyists.

I wonder if Hannity will be Press Secretary?

I hope it's Peter Doocy.

Steven Seagal can be Ambassador to the USSR...

I hope it's Peter Doocy.

#21 | Posted by gracieamazed

konechno, da. nevezhestvennaya pizda.

"Perhaps, but at least they aren't lobbyists.
#19 | POSTED BY ONEIRONAUT AT 2024-11-12 09:08 PM"

YET ...

Really does not matter what anyone thinks. Republicans have the majority in the Senate and the Democrats eliminated the filibuster on this stuff. So he will be the next Defense Secretary.

God Speed...

" the Democrats eliminated the filibuster on this stuff. So he will be the next Defense Secretary.

God Speed...

#25 | POSTED BY SAWDUST AT 2024-11-12 10:15 PM | FLAG: "

They should be on the hands and knees thanking Manchin and Synema from preventing them from nuking the filibuster altogether.

#26 | Posted by BellRinger

Why, Senate Republicans have pledged to do recess appointments for all of -------- horrible horrible appointments

the filibuster is pointless now

I wonder if Hannity will be Press Secretary?

#20 | Posted by REDIAL

EVEN HANNITY WAS QUESTIONING THE HUMANITY OF THE DEPORTATION POLICY. HOMAN HAD NO ANSWER

Or are you going to deny they said it --------? and then run away like a bitch?

Recess appointments time out after 6 months, if memory serves. Further, they aren't necessary with a Senate majority.

You'd be better off waiting until things actually happen before hyperventilating. You are all bent out of shape over things you believe will happen, but haven't yet.

No, idiot they time out when the legislative session ends, i.e. every 2 years.

Then ------- can just recess appointment them again.

You, of course, ignore the very basic fact that senate republicans are handing over a KEY power they possess to -------. They are surrendering their power without a fight.

Apparently this is going to include cabinet and administration officials, judges and possibly SC justices.

Ain't that just grand, or more correctly, authoritarian

You'd be better off waiting until things actually happen before hyperventilating. You are all bent out of shape over things you believe will happen, but haven't yet.

#31 | Posted by BellRinger

It is already happening dumbass.

They are blocking Biden's judge nominees.

The 3 leading candidates are saying they will do it.

Only an idiot like you thinks it won't happen

Please wipe the spittle off your screen.

But, again, you don't care. You are happy your magat scum leader is consolidating government power in his own hands.

He is planning on setting up a board to fire generals-controlling the pentagon

He is taking over senate's powers

He is beginning to implement the ungodly project 2025 ---- on the administrative state

he is appointing musk for government efficiency, he of the cut 1/3 of the federal budget-Americans have to suffer pain

AND he just announced how he is going after higher education-getting rid of the existing accreditation system and threatening civil action against colleges.

This is already 10x worse than I imagined a week ago

Please wipe the spittle off your screen.

#34 | Posted by BellRinger

Wipe -------- ------------- off your lips --- breath

I will point out you cannot refute what I am saying, you can only claim I am unreasonable for drawing attention to this monstrosity unfolding before our eyes

Seriously, calm down before you stroke out.

I am quite calm -------. i actually had a wellness dr visit, BP 118 over 85

So iow go ---- yourself magat scum

HEY, you said you admit when you are wrong.

Are you going to do that about ------- grabbing Senate power?

I know that you talk out of your ass most of the time. He's not even been sworn in yet. Dems still control the majority in the Senate. Schumer is majority leader, not McConnell. You are making stuff up because it's what you do.

Biden, is still president, not Trump.

Biden had one SecDef for four years. Trump? Five. Buckle up.

Sec of Defense overseas $800 b budget and 2.3 million military and 750. K civilian

This guy is a tv host with 0 managerial experience

He's been sitting on a couch for 8 years

inexperience in the status quo is a reason why he's been selected along with his military experience and advocacy for veterans since.

and most of you have never heard him talk about the military because of where he works.....so who cares what you think ?

those are 2nd only to the most important.

--to screw democrats at every opportunity.

Recess appointments...aren't necessary with a Senate majority.
#30 | Posted by BellRinger

They are if anyone involved has an ounce of responsibility or morals. The Senate should do it's job no matter what party they're in, not just rubber stamp what ever the Pres. wants.

But TFD don't you know that the senate ceding their power is actually Biden's doing

Hegseth is a combat veteran with two bronze stars that doesn't think women should be in combat. At least he has real experience and is sensible. Better than a pampered guy that has been behind a desk most of his career.

#47 | Posted by lee_the_agent a

hear hear.

Do you have any concept on what it takes to manage an enterprise as large as America's defense?

This pick is disastrous and solely to achieve 2 aims make the military loyal only to ------- and to target "woke" people

I'd hate to be a LGBTQ service member right now

We've had a turnip as POTUS for the last 4 years. That hasn't bothered you.

#49 | Posted by truthhurts

hyperbolic gibberish.

A political commentator for Fox News, he was previously the executive director of Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America.

--High school Valedictorian

--received his Bachelor of Arts in politics at Princeton University in 2003.

--In 2013, he received a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

He will be able to handle the job.

Christ you ------ morons excuse everything

A hs valecdictorian does not qualify not to manage a system as large as us defense

Why, Senate Republicans have pledged to do recess appointments for all of -------- horrible horrible appointments

Something our resident righties should be angry about but have been predictably silent.

It's almost as if they DO lack integrity, morals, principles, convictions...

Hegseth is a combat veteran with two bronze stars

If we were talking about him being selected as a battalion XO that would be great.

None of that is relevant to "leading" a multi-million person, $800+ billion dollar enterprise.

His primary qualification is he will be absolutely loyal to Trump.

And that should scare the ---- out of you.

valedictorian / Princeton / Harvard graduate attacked by a public school failure.

--that's rich.

You fucjing morons don't even realize he disavowed his Harvard education

well that's enough lining rcade's pocket on this one... LOL

--and exposing myself to the incessant caterwauling, whining, and disparaging uninformed remarks

from the disturbed malcontents still upset over the sound thrashing.

--When the majority said -- to all of you.....so I don't have to.

--I don't "have to"....I do it because I want to.

---looking forward to where Tulsi Gabbard ends up when her time on the transition team is over.

---" all you need is love".....

#57 | Posted by truthhurts

he got in....and was successful at 2 Ivy League schools....end of story

and I'm betting he never !! needed some safe space at any time....

he got in....and was successful at 2 Ivy League schools....end of story

So now this is a good thing? Doesn't that mean he majored in underwater lesbian basket weaving?

Y'all are so selective with the application of your "standards" it's hard to keep up with your current opinion of things.

Also, it took disturbingly little time for you fools to bend over and let Trump become everything you claimed to hate and everything he claimed to be against.

All offence intended, you're proving far, far stupider than I ever thought possible.

I'm looking forward to ------- imposing the trump university standards for college education

AS with all his appointment, this one is about loyalty to Trump, not qualifications for the job.

But hey, if Trumpers weren't shallow-minded Cultists, they wouldn't be Trumpers.

"President-elect Donald Trump stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary, tapping someone largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world's largest and most powerful military.'

"Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Hegseth's lack of senior national security experience makes it more difficult to get Senate confirmation.

"I think Trump was tired of fighting with his secretaries of defense and picked one who would be loyal to him," Cancian said.

Military officials said the choice came out of the blue. A senior military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said Hegseth's selection is raising concerns about whether he has the practical experience to manage a large department with an enormous budget."

apnews.com

"Hegseth defended service members accused of war crimes and in 2019, he urged Trump to pardon US service members who had been accused of war crimes.

According to The Washington Post, Hegseth's lobbying of Trump in 2019 resulted in the pardon of two service members who were accused of murder, and the reinstatement of rank of a third who was found guilty of posing with a body in Iraq.

The 44-year-old veteran was formerly head of the Concerned Veterans for America, a group backed by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch.

Hegseth has said he left the military in 2021 after being sidelined for his political and religious views by an army that did not want him any more." excerpts

www.aljazeera.com

This is in no way a serious pick. Trump is trying to troll Tim Walz by picking someone from the MN Guard. Sadly it is the US that will suffer the consequences.

Ryan Goodman
@rgoodlaw.bsky.social
Pete Hegseth, President-Elect Trump's pick for Defense Secretary "says he was removed from the 2021 inauguration mission after Jan 6 because he has a Deus vult cross tattoo - an image that has been appropriate with the far-right."
bsky.app

Here is the whole thread Beynon, who writes for Military.com, did on Hegseth:

Steven Beynon
@StevenBeynon

A few things about Hegseth, Trump's pick for SECDEF

First, he's way against women serving in combat arms - Saying in a recent podcast, "I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles."

Rolling back women's roles in service is a top concern among most Army officials I've talked to recently. A proxy for this attack in recent years has been the service's fitness test and the fight over having a gendered standard.

Hegseth, a Guardsman, says he was removed from the 2021 inauguration mission after Jan 6 because he has a Deus vult cross tattoo - an image that has been appropriate with the far-right.

"Deus vult" was a battle cry in 1st Crusade in battles against Muslims & Jews. It's a common neo Nazi imagery, including Mauricio Martinez Garcia a mass shooter in 2023, killed 8 people in Dallas. You also see it at most farright protests, including Charlottesville

He's a big culture warrior, writing in his book, "Do we want woke 'diverse' recruits that the Biden administration is curating to be the ones with the guns and guidons?"

Meanwhile, the Army has had to lean on minorities to fill in the ranks. Black recruits, for example, make up about 24% of recent new recruits -- compared to making up 14% of the general population. Hispanics make up 24% of recruits.

Army Sees Sharp Decline in White Recruits
The shift in demographics for incoming recruits would be irrelevant to war planners, except it coincides with an overall shortfall of about 10,000 recruits for the Army in 2023.
www.military.com
Women's recruitment has been steady for a decade. You may have heard of the "recruiting crisis," but that's entirely attributed to men -- specifically white men. And it's a decade trend that has more to do with male identity than literal politics. .

The Army's Recruiting Problem Is Male
A decade of declining recruitment numbers for the Army is almost entirely attributable to a significant drop in male recruiting as female enlistments have remained relatively flat, internal service da ...
www.military.com

It's totally anecdotal - but I've talked to three mid to senior-level officials who all say a notable chunk of their teams are LGBT. In short, the math doesn't math if you want a giant Army and you're only interested in recruiting straight, white male troops.

Finally, for recruitment, the Army has had to rely on the Future Soldier Prep Course, which takes applicants who are short on body fat or academic standards and gets them up to snuff.

A lot of these soldiers speak English as a second language and are minorities, many from failing school districts.

'Last Stop USA': How the Army Is Trying to Fill in for a Broken Education System
Test scores, which were already falling before the pandemic, took a nosedive, and recent years have seen a blitz in teacher strikes over poor working conditions and being paid wages not far above the ...
www.military.com

threadreaderapp.com

LOL @JPW

Do you thing Trump should reach across the aisle and offer this guy a job? en.wikipedia.org

Or maybe shim? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Levine

Is Putin's orange ----------- going to put GED Boebert in charge of the Department of Education?

I wonder if Hannity will be Press Secretary?
#20 | Posted by REDIAL
I hope it's Peter Doocy.
#21 | Posted by gracieamazed

I heard his lawyer Alina Habba is in the running.

Loomer would be the perfect mouthpiece for Putin's bitch.

I heard his lawyer Alina Habba is in the running.

Has she finished losing his court cases?

that should scare the ---- out of you.

It doesn't. All cabinet members are loyal to the POTUS. You should know that.

All cabinet members are loyal to the POTUS. You should know that.

Remember Lewzer's first televised Cabinet ass-kissing round table meeting? Yikes.

It doesn't. All cabinet members are loyal to the POTUS. You should know that.
#72 | Posted by lee_the_agent

The new Trump cabinet members will be required to be more loyal to Trump than to the Constituion. That's
what should scare people.

Hitler Oath
en.wikipedia.org

... The Hitler Oath (German: Fhrereid or Fhrer Oath)"also referred in English as the Soldier's Oath[1]"refers to the oaths of allegiance sworn by officers and soldiers of the Wehrmacht and civil servants of Nazi Germany between the years 1934 and 1945. The oath pledged personal loyalty to Adolf Hitler rather than loyalty to the constitution of the country. ...

@#74 ... The new Trump cabinet members will be required to be more loyal to Trump than to the Constituion. ...

Perhaps that is why Pres-elect Trump is trying to get the Senate-elect to agree to recess appointments.

No questions asked about his appointees.

Trump doesn't want any Mike Pences anywhere near his Cabinet. He doesn't want any Mike Pences among the high ranking military officers either.

@#64 ... This is in no way a serious pick. ...

It may be a serious pick for what Pres-elect Trump wants from a Sec of Defense, i.e., the removal of "woke" Generals and other "woke" people from the military.

Trump draft executive order would set up board to oust generals en masse: Report
thehill.com

... The transition team for President-elect Trump is working on an executive order that would speed up the firing of top military brass if signed, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The draft executive order would set up a "warrior board" of retired generals and noncommissioned officers given power to review three- and four-star officers and to recommend anyone "lacking in requisite leadership qualities," according to the document, reviewed by the Journal.

If signed by Trump once he takes office, it could allow the quick removal of generals and admirals and purge the ranks of those the future commander-in-chief takes issue with for whatever reason.

Such a move could gut the Defense Department and create a fearful atmosphere among top military officers, given Trump's past promise to rid the Pentagon of so-called "woke generals" " those seen as promoting diversity in the ranks.

The order could also effectively bypass the Pentagon's regular promotion system, as those identified for removal by the warrior board would be relayed to the White House and then retired at their current rank within 30 days, according to the Journal. ...

#79 Yep, you are connecting the necessary dots, Lamp.

...purge the ranks of those the future commander-in-chief takes issue with for whatever reason.

The main reason being they are smarter than him. Won't be many left.

Here's a new word I learned today:

kakistocracy
/kak'stkr's"/

a state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.

a state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.

Project 2025 (that Lewzer has never seen) is the blueprint for that. It's gonna be entertaining.

back to the hysterics..

so this decorated veteran pf 20 years of service / ivy league grad / tours in Iraq and Afghanistan....isn't qualified to be in trump's cabinet.

---but Sam Brinton and Rachel Levine were qualified to be in biden's...

**compared to those two... Hegseth is overqualified.

you people are nuts.....certifiably.

A Captain/Major has a very different view than a COL/General. Also, a Col/General was once a Captain and hopefully they kept those lessons learned.

Those that were LTs and Captains in Vietnam took those lessons to heart and changed the services. General Schwarzkopf comes to mind.

---but Sam Brinton and Rachel Levine were qualified to be in biden's...

Sam Brinton? I didn't know "deputy assistant secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition" was a Cabinet position.

Rachel Levine? I didn't know "assistant secretary for health" was a Cabinet position.

@#85 ... A Captain/Major has a very different view than a COL/General ...

Yup.

set aside your hate mongering bigotry....I know that's hard for some of you a-wholes...but try

and look at it as a different perspective.

--he has the education to more than handle anything that could entail using that expertise....

--a grunt from the trenches in charge instead of some ambitious political career opportunists.

****I understand who I'm asking to be rational, so waiting for any reply in kind... is more likely a waste of time.

and as always #1 is.....screw the democrats with every opportunity.

Rachel Levine? I didn't know "assistant secretary for health" was a Cabinet position.

#86 | Posted by REDIAL

used that loosely....perhaps should have said....a member of the biden team..

is that better ? does that sooth your concern ?.

..a member of the biden team..

Fair enough. A team with about 3 million civilian members.

****I understand who I'm asking to be rational, so waiting for any reply in kind... is more likely a waste of time.

and as always #1 is.....screw the democrats with every opportunity.

POSTED BY SHRIMPTACODAN AT 2024-11-13 12:54 PM | REPLY

you think screw the dems is rational? come on.

set aside your hate mongering bigotry....

This from the guy that immediately went after two trans people. It is to laugh.

@#88 ... set aside your hate mongering bigotry....I know that's hard for some of you a-wholes...but try

and look at it as a different perspective. ...

OK...

'Who?' Some Republican senators surprised by Trump's defense pick
www.nbcnews.com

... Some Republican senators expressed surprise and said they had little knowledge about who exactly President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of defense is.

"Wow," Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said after Trump announced former National Guard member and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his choice for the high-ranking job.

"I'm just surprised, because the names that I've heard for secretary of defense have not included him," Murkowski said.

Trump on Tuesday called Hegseth, 44, "tough, smart and a true believer in America First."

Some senators did not know who Hegseth is or much about him.

"Who?" Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said when he was asked about the choice. "I don't know Pete. I just don't know anything about him." ...