– Being defense minister is not an entry-level job, says Adam Smith, the leading Democrat on the defense committee in the House of Representatives. It is one of many reactions after Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he wants 44-year-old Norwegian-born Hegseth as defense minister. – Pete is tough, smart and a true friend of America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are getting a clear message – our military will be great again and America will never surrender, Trump said. Before becoming a Fox News commentator, Hegseth spent several years in the military. He became a major before leaving the army. During his years in the military, he was in both Iran and Afghanistan. In addition, he served at the US Guantánamo base in Cuba. The base is controversial because for over 20 years the United States has used the base to hold people captive without trial. Pete Hegseth interviewed then-President Donald Trump in 2017. Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters Head of 2.7 million As defense minister, Hegseth will be head of 1.3 million in the US military. In addition, there are civilian employees in the defence, soldiers in the Home Guard and the reserve forces. In total, there will be 2.7 million women and men under Hegseth. He gets a budget of 841.4 billion dollars – 9,380 billion kroner – at his disposal. Has criticized the military During his years as a commentator on Fox News, Hegseth has strongly criticized the American military. Earlier in November, Hegseth said he was opposed to having women in contention. He has criticized the defense for being woke – and said that he would remove diversity programs if he were to become defense minister. He has advocated pardoning American officers convicted of war crimes. Chief of the US General Staff CQ Brown Photo: Mark Schiefelbein / AP Conflict with Chief of the General Staff Hegseth has also resulted in sharp outcomes against General CQ Brown, writes Reuters. As Chief of the US General Staff, he is the highest ranking officer in the US military. In a podcast earlier this month, he said Brown should be fired. He has accused Brown of “pursuing a radical agenda from politicians on the left”. Earlier this year, he questioned whether Brown would have gotten the job if he hadn’t been black. Strong criticism from the defense CNN writes that there are strong reactions against Hegseth within the military. Anonymous sources at the top of the military use strong words when characterizing the proposal. – Ridiculous, says one. – A hellish nightmare, says another. Several anonymous sources in the ministry ask Reuters questions about what qualifications Hegseth has. – He is not even qualified for a much lower position in the ministry, says a senior source. Published 13.11.2024, at 22.36
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