WASHINGTON—Today, The Heritage Foundation congratulated Pete Hegseth on his appointment as Secretary of Defense in President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration. 

Heritage President Dr. Kevin Roberts said: 

“Congratulations to Pete Hegseth on his well-deserved nomination as Secretary of Defense under President Trump. Pete is the right kind of fighter for America, one who is ready to clean up our Department of Defense and restore the ‘peace through strength’ agenda that has made our country great. 

 

At a time when bloat and woke initiatives detract from the core warfighting mission of our armed forces, we need a secretary like Pete who has both served in combat and advocated for veterans on Capitol Hill. Under President Biden and Secretary Austin, our military has grown weaker while foreign conflicts have increased. President Trump and Secretary Hegseth will make our military great again while continuing to put America First.” 

Victoria Coates, Vice President of Heritage's Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, said: 

“As the second-youngest American to serve as Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth will be a literal breath of fresh air in the musty halls of the Pentagon, where a radical woke social agenda has degraded our proud military. With his combination of combat experience, veteran’s advocacy on Capitol Hill, and commitment to conservative principles, he’s an inspired choice to put the Department on the new track it desperately needs.”