WASHINGTON—Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has suspended the security detail for former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, adding another prominent former official to the list of those who have seen their protection stripped under the new Trump administration.
That’s called “jointness,” about which Hegseth knows little. He touted his Army background in the National Guard as a qualification to be secretary of Defense, but just as different cultures, goals and methods divide allies in a coalition, they also divide military branches.
The Senate on Friday night voted to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary after Vice President JD Vance stepped in to cast the tiebreaking vote. Hegseth’s nomination had been hampered by allegations of misconduct.
Readers criticize the vote on the defense secretary nomination. Also: President Trump and tariffs; silencing health officials; firing of inspectors general; longevity.
The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth late Friday, swatting back questions about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon.
The 44-year-old veteran and former Fox News host was sworn into office Saturday after facing allegations of sexual misconduct, misogynistic and racist comments, and mismanaged finances at two organizations.
As the dust settles on the fight over Pete Hegseth's nomination, his confirmation is emblematic of a larger truth about the state of Republican politics.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s first day at the Pentagon is expected to include an array of executive orders, including “removing DEI inside the Pentagon, reinstating troops who were pushed out because of Covid mandates” and an “Iron Dome
After being sworn-in by Vice President JD Vance, the Pentagon’s new leader addressed the Defense Department’s three million employees.
There will be a lot on the plate for new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth when he steps into his office on the Pentagon’s third floor E Ring.
A Princeton and Harvard-educated former combat veteran, Hegseth went on to make a career at Fox News, where he hosted a weekend show. Trump tapped him as the defense secretary to lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.
Vice President Vance cast a tie-breaking vote as Hegseth overcame allegations of sexual assault, public drunkenness and questions of financial mismanagement to win Senate approval.