President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth, a seasoned army officer, Harvard-educated coverage skilled, and cryptocurrency fanatic, as his Secretary of Protection. The announcement got here by way of a Trump-Vance transition assertion on Tuesday, marking a big shift in potential protection management.
Hegseth, 44, brings a various background spanning army service, veterans’ advocacy, and media affect. A Princeton College politics graduate who later earned his Grasp of Public Coverage from Harvard’s Kennedy College of Authorities, Hegseth has constructed a profession bridging army experience with public coverage. His army service within the Military Nationwide Guard, together with deployments to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, earned him two Bronze Stars and a Fight Infantryman Badge.
Earlier than his present function as co-host of Fox & Pals Weekend, Hegseth served as CEO of Involved Veterans for America (CVA), the place he championed reform inside the Division of Veterans Affairs. His temporary foray into politics included a 2012 run for a U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota, although he finally withdrew to endorse one other candidate.
The nominee has just lately gained consideration in cryptocurrency circles for his bullish stance on Bitcoin and digital property. Following Trump’s election victory and Bitcoin’s surge above $80,000, Hegseth commented on Fox Enterprise: “Take a look at Trump, making Bitcoin nice once more. All it took was signaling to that market that they weren’t going to be overregulated. Trump embraced them.” He additionally disclosed managing his personal cryptocurrency portfolio, noting that whereas he had offered some holdings at current highs, he maintains important positions.
Hegseth’s crypto journey hasn’t been with out setbacks. In November 2022, he publicly acknowledged substantial losses following the FTX trade collapse, but maintained his optimistic outlook on the sector’s future. His perspective on cryptocurrency was notably formed by Coinbase’s 2021 IPO, which he described because the “tip of the iceberg” for the business’s potential.
The nomination has drawn blended reactions from Capitol Hill. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who just lately secured her fourth time period after defeating crypto-friendly Republican John Deaton, voiced robust opposition. “A Fox & Pals Weekend co-host is just not certified to be the Secretary of Protection,” Warren posted on X, citing her management of the Senate army personnel panel and her household’s army service.
Hegseth has established himself as a prolific writer, publishing 4 important works that replicate his political and social views. His literary portfolio contains “Within the Enviornment: Good Residents, a Nice Republic, and How One Speech Can Reinvigorate America” (2016), “American Campaign: Our Battle to Keep Free” (2020), and “Fashionable Warriors: Actual Tales from Actual Heroes” (2020). His most up-to-date work, “Battle for the American Thoughts: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation” (2022), co-authored with David Goodwin, critiques progressive influences in American training.
The nomination, which requires Senate affirmation, comes alongside different notable appointments, together with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to guide the proposed Division of Authorities Effectivity (D.O.G.E), coinciding with a surge in Dogecoin costs.
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