Hegseth Promises to ‘Return Pentagon to the Warfighters’ If Confirmed as Defense Secretary

Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, is a former Army National Guard officer and a former director of several veterans groups.

Pete Hegseth arrives for a meeting at the U.S. Capitol, on Dec. 4, 2024. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, said in a Dec. 9 interview that if confirmed in the role, he will focus on overhauling the United States military and returning the “Pentagon to the warfighters.”

In the interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Hegseth said, “[Trump] called me and said, ‘You keep fighting, I know you can do this, you’re going to have to be as tough as hell. Stare these folks down and stand up for the change that needs to come to the Defense Department.’”