Newsmax started off a little shaky about Donald Trump selection of Pete Hegseth as his nominee for secretary of defense. One early story raised doubts about it:
President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to pick Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his defense secretary has sparked backlash within the Beltway, confounding Democrats and even causing some Republicans to question the choice.
The selection of Hegseth, a decorated combat veteran, came as a surprise to those who were expecting a nominee with more defense or foreign policy experience.
“Wow,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said when asked by The Hill about the appointment Tuesday night. “I’m just surprised because the names that I’ve heard for secretary of defense have not included him.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., panned Trump’s pick in a post Tuesday on X, saying the move “will make us less safe and must be rejected.”
That was quickly followed, though, by attacks on Warren for daring to voice an opinion about Hegseth:
Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s criticism of President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee is getting blowback from some conservatives, reports the Daily Caller.
Trump on Wednesday picked Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to serve in the role, a move that caught many off guard, including people in Trump’s orbit, reports CNN.
Warren said Trump’s pick “will make us less safe and must be rejected.”
“A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense. I lead the Senate military personnel panel. All three of my brothers served in uniform. I respect every one of our servicemembers,” Warren wrote on social media platform X.
Sean Davis, co-founder of The Federalist, slammed Warren and told her to “sit down.”
“Pete Hegseth is a 20-year military veteran, a decorated combat veteran, a recipient of the Bronze Star (2x), and graduated from both Harvard and Princeton,” Davis wrote on X. “You falsely claimed to be an Indian to get a job you couldn’t get on the merits. Sit down, Pocahontas.”
A Nov. 15 article noted that Hegseth “was once flagged by a fellow service member as an ‘insider threat’ over a tattoo of a Christian motto that has been co-opted by white supremacy groups.”
Of course, there were the usual talking heads gushing over Hegseth:
- Eddie Gallagher to Newsmax: Hegseth ‘Great Pick’
- Huckabee to Newsmax: Hegseth Will Boot Woke From Military
A Nov. 19 column by dishonest Catholic Bill Donohue defended Hegseth’s unusually large cross tattoos:
They’ve started already. One week after the election, and the Christian-bashers are foaming at the mouth over President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense and Mike Huckabee to be U.S. Ambassador to Israel.
Hegseth is a strong Christian who literally wears his religion on his body (he has more than a dozen tattoos emblazoned on his right arm and chest).
To be sure, that is bizarre, but that is not what his critics are upset about. They don’t like what the tattoos represent — Christianity.
If he had metal spikes hanging from his nose or had tattoos honoring Lucifer on his neck, that would be fine.
But once Jesus is brought into the mix, that’s a call to arms. Indeed, the Christian-bashers are explicitly calling him out for wanting a call to arms — they are saying he wants to bring back the Crusades.
Donohue went on to claim that the Crusades were “a defensive reaction to Muslim aggression.”
Newsmax gave the Hegseth camp an opportunity to try and get ahead of his scandals in a Nov. 17 article by Nick Koutsobinas:
The attorney for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick, told the New York Post on Sunday that the former Fox News host had to pay off an accuser during the #MeToo movement to keep her silent.
The unidentified woman accused Hegseth of sexual assault. He maintains their encounter was consensual, according to his attorney, Timothy Parlatore.
“Basically, he was totally innocent. He did nothing wrong here,” Parlatore said. “We went through a mediation and ultimately settled for far less than what she wanted. And that should have completely buried it.”
Of course, if he was “totally innocent,” there would be no need for him to pay hush money.
A Nov. 21 article by Mark Swanson did highlight a former Trump administration official critical of the misconduct allegations against Hegseth:
Alyssa Farah Griffin, former White House communications director under President-elect Donald Trump in his first administration, said Thursday that all of the scrutiny that was focused on Matt Gaetz will get shifted to Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Secretary of Defense.
Farah Griffin said Hegseth has an “uphill battle” to confirmation in an interview with CNN.
“I think now that Matt Gaetz is out of the running, all of the Senate’s eyes are focused on this gentleman,” she said.
At issue for Hegseth, Farah Griffin asserted, is that the allegations of sexual misconduct against him (strongly denied by him), combined with critics’ contention that he’s “deeply unqualified” for the job might be too much to overcome, even though Trump has “genuine affection” for the former Fox News host.
“This is [Trump’s] hand-picked choice, but the sexual allegations aside, he’s deeply unqualified for this role. And Republican senators, especially those on Senate Armed Services, in the intel committees, take the national security post extremely seriously,” Farah Griffin said.
Still, more Newsmax talking heads ran to his defense:
- Lewandowski to Newsmax: Hegseth ‘Eminently Qualified’ to Be Defense Secretary
- Sen. Ernst to Newsmax: Eager to Vet Hegseth, All of Trump’s Picks
More columnists went into defense mode as well. Dan Rice gushed in a Nov. 26 column:
When I first heard the news of Pete Hegseth being nominated for secretary of defense, my initial reaction mirrored many others’: disbelief. A Fox News commentator stepping into one of the most pivotal roles in national security? It seemed unconventional at best.
Yet, upon reflection, it becomes clear that Hegseth’s nomination aligns perfectly with the demands of this precarious historical moment. What makes Hegseth the right choice isn’t a conventional résumé — it’s his role as a great communicator, a skill set that has proven transformative for leaders in tumultuous times.
[…]Ultimately, America stands at a crossroads. We face a world that is not only more dangerous but also more connected than ever before. In such times, the ability to communicate effectively is as critical as the ability to strategize or manage.
Pete Hegseth’s nomination may not fit the mold of past secretaries of defense, but perhaps that is exactly what this moment requires. If confirmed, he will bring a fresh perspective and a powerful voice to the Pentagon, embodying the leadership and vision needed to navigate these turbulent times.
Duvi Hong wrote in a Nov. 27 column:
Pete Hegseth’s dedication to his Religious beliefs has sparked controversy among certain groups who have attacked his religious values. These critics often equate religious adherence with a lack of democratic principles, using tactics employed by the woke movement which Americans rejected at the polls by voting for President Donald Trump.
The success of Pete’s nomination would signify a significant step in defending not just the military interests of the United States but also the core tenets of freedom of religion, democracy and the First Amendment. His nomination embodies a broader commitment to uphold values that allow Americans to practice their faith without fear of retribution or exclusion.
We must take a stand and denounce the woke and far-left movements trying to stop his nomination as his nomination for the position of Defense secretary symbolizes a broader mission. It emphasizes not only the protection of the United States through military might but also defending the safeguarding of democracy and protecting religious freedom.
But Hegseth’s tattoos tells us he does not favor the freedom of certain religions.