3 Recent Quotes Show Why Pete Hegseth Is an Outside-the-Box Defense Sec. Pick
Bubba
14 Nov
President-elect Trump’s choice of Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary is widely viewed as a break from the highly credentialed national security experts who typically fill the role, leading some industry insiders to wonder, “Who the fuck is this guy?”
Hegseth on the military’s recruitment slump:
As far as recruiting, [I want] to hire the guy that did ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and create some real ads that motivate people to want to serve.
Hegseth’s blunt take on military preparedness:
The Pentagon runs perfect war game simulations, we lose every time to China… They’re building an army…We have our heads up our asses.
Hegseth’s blunt take on women in combat roles:
I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.
The case for Hegseth: While Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience, during his two decades of service he was awarded two Bronze Stars and has degrees from Yale University and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
He also headed up Concerned Veterans for America, a veterans advocacy group, and picked up some (admittedly brief) think tank experience when he worked at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.
How does he compare to his recent predecessors?
Lloyd Austin: Austin, a four-star general, served 41 years in the military, commanding at multiple levels and leading major operations in Iraq, ultimately overseeing U.S. Central Command's operations in the Middle East before retiring.
Mark Esper: A West Point graduate and Gulf War veteran, Esper served 10 years on active duty and 11 years in the National Guard and Reserves, later holding senior government and industry roles. He also served as Trump’s Army secretary before becoming secretary of defense.
James Mattis: Another four-star general, Mattis spent over 40 years in the Marine Corps, commanding at every level, including major operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and leading U.S. Central Command before becoming defense secretary.
The status quo: While Hegseth very well might be an unconventional pick for secretary of defense, there’s an argument to be made that the military could use a shake up.
Recruitment: Three out of four major U.S. military branches failed to meet recruitment goals in 2023, with the Army missing its target by 10,000 soldiers (a 20% shortfall).
Only 23% of Americans aged 17-24 are qualified for military service without a waiver due to issues like obesity, unfitness, mental health, and drug use.
Preparedness: Critics say U.S. military power has declined in both capacity and readiness, with a recent Heritage Foundation report grading the military strength of most branches of service as marginal or weak.
Bubba’s Two Cents
Fans of Trump’s defense secretary pick would likely say Hegseth’s status as a military establishment outsider is a feature, not a bug. Critics have accused the military of falling victim to the same problems plaguing American institutions more broadly — too complacent, too focused on bureaucracy, and yes, too much focus on “wokeness” (Hegseth has written a book on how “social justice” led the Pentagon astray).
Whether Hegseth and his supporters are right or not, the perception that the armed forces are headed in the wrong direction is palpable, with trust in the military cratering in recent years.
