- Hegseth has been named as US president-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defence secretary
- Hegseth is currently a host on Fox News
- He has a long and varied career in the military, politics and the media
US president elect Donald Trump has caused a surprise by naming Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his pick for defence secretary in his new administration.
Hegseth, 44, has never held a political office before. However, his appointment must be first confirmed by the US Senate. If he is confirmed in the role, Hegseth will be in charge of military issues, such as the US’ role in ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
But many people have been asking who he is – and what his history is. Here are some key facts about who Pete Hegseth is.
Fox News host
Hegseth is currently best known for his role as a host on Fox News. He has been with the channel since 2014. He began as a contributor and has gone on to host shows and contribute regularlyto others, including Unfiltered with Dan Bongino. He is known for using his platform to highlight military and veterans’ issues.
Early Life
Hegseth was born in Minneapolis and raised in Forest Lake. He then went onto Princeton University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in politics.
Hegseth is descended from Norwegians on both sides of his family.
Military veteran
On leaving university in 2003, he initially worked as an equity capital markets analyst and was also commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota National Guard. In 2004, his unit went to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, where he was an infantry platoon leader. He also served in Iraq – where he was awarded several medals – Samarra and Afghanistan.
Since leaving the military, Hegseth has been active with several veterans groups, including Concerned Veterans for America.
Long-time Trump supporter
While Hegseth initially supported Marco Rubio, followed by Ted Cruz in the 2016 Republican primaries, he has since been a staunch Trump supporter. He was an occasional adviser to the first Trump presidency. Hegseth was also considered to lead the US Department of Veterans Affairs before David Shulkin was chosen in 2017.
