Former Rep. Jason Chafetz (R-Utah) weighed in on President-elect Trump's decision to appoint Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, saying he would be an “easy confirmation.” suggested.
“I dare any Republican senator to vote against him. It's not in their best interest,” Chaffetz told Fox News' Laura Ingraham.
“And we need to get him in place as soon as possible. Relief is underway,” he said in an interview on “The Ingraham Angle.” mediaite. “I think this is exactly what America was aiming for. And I can't believe how excited I am.”
Mr. Ingraham also praised Mr. Hegseth, a Fox & Friends Weekend co-host and Army National Guard soldier, as a savior of the draft and deficit issues facing the U.S. military.
However, some Democrats, including Rep. Adam Smith (Washington state) and Rep. Dan Goldman (New York state), have questioned President Trump's decision.
“I don't think this person is a serious enough policy maker or a serious enough policy implementer to do a successful job,” Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, reportedly said. There is reason to be concerned that this may not be the case.” Associated Press.
Goldman said he was “very upset” by Trump's choice.
“This is truly shocking. This is exactly what we were concerned about when we warned about Donald Trump: He is appointing unqualified supporters to take this government into his own hands. ,” he said Tuesday.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also said she was surprised by the move, since her name had not come up for consideration.
“Wow…I'm just surprised he wasn't among the names of defense secretaries I heard about,” Murkowski said. said After the announcement of the next president.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) simply asked, “Who?”
However, the former president did not reverse his decision, instead stating in a public statement why he chose Hegseth to lead the defense effort.
“Pete has spent his life as a warrior for our military and our country. Pete is tough, smart, and a true believer in America First,” President Trump said in a statement.
“With Pete in command, America's enemies are on alert – our military will be great again and America will never back down,” he added.
After being declared the winner of the 2024 election, Trump wasted no time in drawing up a list of people who would fill cabinet and key government positions when he returned to the White House in January.
