President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense has ignited considerable debate as liberal critics scrutinize his qualifications and use “unnamed sources” to disparage his alleged past conduct.
But Hegseth’s nomination is an opportunity this country cannot afford to miss.
I’ve had the privilege of working with Pete at Fox News for seven years, and he’s the right person to bring sanity back to our military.
Our armed forces have been derailed in recent years, taken hostage by a relentless march of wokeness — with policy decisions based on social agendas rather than military effectiveness.
But our military is not some social experiment.
Pete knows this firsthand as a soldier who served on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He understands what it takes to lead, and knows how dangerous it is when leadership loses sight of the mission.
When he recently met with Sen. Joni Ernst (the likely key vote in his confirmation), he didn’t just ask for her support — he laid out a vision for what the military should be.
After their meeting, Ernst, herself a combat veteran, hinted at her approval.
This is good news for the country.
Pete doesn’t just win people over with charisma (though he has plenty of it); he wins them over with substance.
He is committed to restoring our military’s focus, and he’s not afraid to challenge the sacred cows of political correctness to do so.
We need that desperately.
As one might expect, critics have dredged up his past and taken some of his comments out of context.
Pete has mounted a vigorous defense: In an exclusive interview with my dear friend, Fox News host Sean Hannity, Pete rightly called out the Democratic Party and the media for the show trial they are attempting.
Make no mistake about it: The media, which has become largely an extension of the Democratic Party, will lie, attack, and misconstrue the words of all of Trump’s nominees, not just Pete.
That’s, unfortunately, how polarizing our politics has become.
But I know Pete.
His integrity is unmatched, and his commitment to our country is unwavering.
