Exclusive: A growing number of prominent military veterans are signing an open letter supporting defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, pushing back against allegations that could derail his confirmation.
The Heritage Foundation began collecting signatures on Thursday and has collected more than 74 signatures in that short period of time, foundation officials told FOX News Digital.
“As a veteran and a patriotic American, I am pleased that a distinguished military veteran has been nominated to lead the Department of Defense,” the letter begins.
“Hegseth is a decorated veteran who served as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard, deployed overseas to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, and earned two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantry Badge.”
Hegseth says, “I'm standing here in this fight.''
Veterans said Hegseth has “worked tirelessly” in support of the U.S. military, and that his experience and drive make the military a “combat force capable of protecting the national security interests of the American people.” “This will lead to restructuring.”
They cited Hegseth's longstanding position on the “depoliticization” of the military and his opposition to “DEI”-type policies and other “harmful ideologies” they say have been forced on the military in recent years. are.
“Ending the Woke is just the beginning. The Pentagon is also bloated with bureaucracy and waste. The defense industrial base is failing,” the veterans wrote.
“Cost overruns and delays are the norm. We need a secretary of defense willing to force them to deliver.”
Trump floats DeSantis as possible replacement for defense secretary if Hegseth is ousted
Sen. Mike Rounds (left), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, speaks with President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Dan Caldwell, a veteran of the Marine Corps and Camp David Security Forces, signed the letter along with three-time deployed Marine Joseph Wade Miller, a fellow advisor at the Center for American Renewal.
They nominated Hegseth, along with at least 40 other prominent veterans, as the former “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host faces allegations of alcohol abuse and abuse of women. I support it.
Eddie Gallagher of the Pipe Hitters Foundation also signed the letter. After being acquitted in a war crimes trial, Mr. Gallagher started a nonprofit organization for veterans focused on defense.
James Jay Carafano, Rob Greenway, Wilson Bieber, Steve Bucci, and Jeremy Hayes are all consultants or fellows at the Heritage Foundation and are decorated veterans. I signed this letter.
The letter also criticizes the previous government's failure to secure the southern border and restore peace in Eurasia.
“Pete Hegseth shares these priorities and will be ready to execute the Commander-in-Chief's agenda from day one. As proud American veterans, we join him and the President in this historic effort. ,” they wrote.
Heritage President Kevin Roberts described Hegseth as “a worthy fighter for America” and someone ready to “clean up” the Pentagon.
Separately from the letter, Roberts said: “As a bloated, woke effort undermines the core combat mission of our military, we need a secretary like Pete, who served in combat and defended our veterans on Capitol Hill.” said.
Victoria Coats, a former national security adviser to President Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), said Hegseth would be “a literal breath of fresh air in the musty halls of the Pentagon.” He said he was deaf.
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On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, heads to the Russell Senate Building for a meeting with Sen. Ted Budd, RN.C. (Tom Williams/CQ) -Roll Call, Inc (via Getty Images) (Tom Williams)
Hegseth said Thursday he refused to recuse himself from the fray as his nomination remains up in the air over allegations of alcohol and sexual misconduct. He denies any wrongdoing.
“We had some great conversations about who we are and what we believe in,” Hegseth said of his meeting with the senators. “And frankly, I am who I am today because of my faith in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and my wife, Jenny. I am a different person than I was a few years ago.”
The exchange followed the leak of a critical letter written by Hegseth's mother Penelope several years ago about his relationships with women. But Penelope Hegseth told Fox News on Wednesday that the email was written in a heated moment and she later apologized.
Multiple sources have told Fox News that President Trump has replaced his former chief opponent, former Navy Lt. Col. Ron DeSantis, with the top position at the Pentagon in case Hegseth fails. – He is reportedly considering the governorship of Florida.
Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
