Hegseth, an Army National Guard captain, is also well known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
Hegseth's choice could bring sweeping changes to the military. He has made it clear on his show and in interviews that, like Trump, he is opposed to “woke” programs that promote equity and inclusion. He also has questioned the role of women in combat and advocated pardoning service members charged with war crimes.
In June, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump encouraged his supporters to buy Hegseth’s book and said that if he won the presidency, "The woke stuff will be gone within a period of 24 hours. I can tell you.”
Trump also announced on Tuesday that he wants John Ratcliffe to head up the CIA.
Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence for the final months of Trump's first term, leading American spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic and as the U.S. government contended with foreign efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.
Meanwhile, Trump on Tuesday said Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency."
