WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense community by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his defense secretary. powerful army.

The news was met with bewilderment and alarm among many in Washington as Trump passed on a number of established national security heavyweights and chose an Army National Guard officer known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s ‘Fox & Friends’. Weekend.”

While some Republican lawmakers reacted mutedly to the announcement, others called his combat experience an asset or said he was “extremely capable.”

Hegseth’s choice could bring sweeping changes for the military. He has made it clear on his show and in interviews that, like Trump, he is against “woke” programs that promote equality and inclusivity. He has also questioned the role of women in combat and called for pardons for soldiers accused of war crimes.

In June, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump encouraged his supporters to buy Hegseth’s book and said that if he were to become president, “the woke stuff will be gone in a 24-hour period. I can tell you that.”

Hegseth, 44, a staunch conservative who embraces Trump’s “America First” policies, has pushed to make the military more lethal. During an interview on “The Shawn Ryan Show” podcast, he said allowing women to serve in combat hurts that effort.

“Anything that men and women serve together complicates the situation, and complications in combat mean the casualties are worse,” Hegseth said.

And while he said diversity in the military is a strength, he said that’s because minority and white men can perform comparably, but the same isn’t true for women.

By opening combat spaces to women, “we’ve changed the norms by putting them there, which means you’ve changed the capabilities of that unit,” Hegseth said in the podcast interview.

Since then-Secretary of Defense Ash Carter opened all combat roles to women in 2016, women have successfully passed the Army’s grueling tests to become Green Berets and Army Rangers, and the Naval Special Warfare test to serve as service members. serve. crew member of combat vessels — the boat operators who transport Navy SEALs and conduct their own secret missions at sea.

While Trump praised Hegseth as “tough, smart and a true advocate of America First,” others were quick to point out the TV personality’s lack of experience. Some suggested he could be the head of the Pentagon in name only, since the Trump White House runs the department.

Some other names floated as possible defense choices included Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg; Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Robert Wilkie, a former Pentagon official who headed the Department of Veterans Affairs during Trump’s first term.

“There is a concern that this is not someone who is serious enough as a policymaker, serious enough as a policy implementer, to do a successful job,” said Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Hegseth’s lack of national security experience makes it more difficult to win Senate confirmation.

“I think Trump got tired of fighting with his defense secretaries and picked someone who would be loyal to him,” Cancian said.

Military officials said the choice came out of the blue. A senior military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said Hegseth’s selection raises concerns about whether he has the practical experience to lead a large department with a huge budget to lead.

The Department of Defense has a budget of more than $800 billion, with approximately 1.3 million active-duty troops and another 1.4 million in the National Guard, Reserves and civilian employees worldwide.

If confirmed, Hegseth would face a huge range of global crises, from the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to growing competition with China. There is also the need to upgrade America’s complex missile and nuclear defense apparatus and ensure that the defense industry can keep pace with America’s need for weapons systems.

Smith said that while Hegseth’s combat experience is a plus, running the Pentagon requires many other skills, and his appointment will take some time.

‘What’s your plan? What are you going to do? … How can you assure us that that lack of experience won’t make it impossible for you to do the job?’ said Smith. “I think these are questions that need to be answered in the coming months.”

Even some Republicans in the Senate, who were set to vote on his nomination, reacted mutedly.

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina called the choice “interesting.” Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, who served in the Marine Corps, said, “I don’t know much about his background or his views, so I’m looking forward to learning more.”

Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota said he is not surprised that Trump chose Hegseth because Trump is “close to him, likes him and trusts him.”

“The man is clearly extremely capable and communicates excellently,” says Hoeven. “I look forward to getting to know him better.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Hegseth brings a lot to the table and “will be reform-minded in the areas that need reform.”

Hegseth has been a contributor to Fox News since 2014 and developed a friendship with Trump, regularly appearing on his show. He is the author of The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.

“With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice: Our military will be great again, and America will never back down,” Trump said in a statement. “No one fights harder for the troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace Through Strength’ policy.”

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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.