Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, has surprised a handful of Republican senators.

President-elect Trump announced his selection on social media on Tuesday evening, saying in part: ‘Pete has spent his life as a warrior for the troops and for the country. Pete is tough, smart and a true advocate of America First. .”

Hegseth is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq and is also a Fox News host. According to Reuters, he left the army in 2021 after being labeled an “extremist,” he said, and that the army did not want him. In his book The War Against Warriors: Behind the Treachery of the Men Who Keep Us Free, Hegseth wrote that the feeling was mutual: “I didn’t want this army anymore either.”

Andrew Desiderio, senior congressional reporter for Punchbowl News, posted on X, formerly Twitter, with multiple reactions from senators after the news about Hegseth broke. Trump’s appointment as Fox News host must be confirmed by the Republican-majority Senate.

GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said “wow,” Desiderio posted. The senator added that she was surprised by the selection as he was not on the lists of candidates for the office.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy responded to the news by asking, “who?” according to NBC’s Frank Thorp V’s post on X. Thorp also noted that Republican Senator Ted Budd said Hegseth is “an impressive person.”

Republican Sen. Todd Young said he had no “idea” of Hegseth’s background or his vision for the department, Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram said in the post to X.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis responded to the news, saying “interesting,” according to Desiderio.

In a statement to Newsweek via email, Fox News said: “Pete Hegseth has been an exceptional host on FOX & Friends and FOX Nation for nearly a decade and a bestselling author for FOX News Books. His insights and analysis, especially on the military, resonated deeply with our viewers . and made the program the great success it is today. We are extremely proud of his work at FOX News Media and wish him much success in Washington.

Newsweek contacted the Trump campaign via email on Tuesday for comment.

This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.