Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, called women in the military “the greatest…” after critics took issue with his remarks that women were unfit for combat duty. He was praised as one of the warriors.
“I would also like to take the opportunity here to clarify the misunderstood comment that women in the military, some of our greatest warriors, our greatest warriors are women,” he said. told Fox News' Sean Hannity. Monday.
She added that military women “love our country, they want to protect our flag, and they do it every day all over the world. I'm not being conceited.”
“But President Trump has asked me to be his secretary of defense, and if that opportunity arises, I look forward to being the secretary of defense for all our warriors, men and women. I would like to congratulate him on his outstanding contribution to the military.”
Secretary of Defense candidate Pete Hegseth joins Fox News' Sean Hannity. (Fox News)
Hegseth is scheduled to meet with senators on Capitol Hill this week in a bid to secure the 50 votes needed to secure a cabinet-level position.
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On the Nov. 7 episode of the Sean Ryan podcast, which aired days before Hegseth, a former Fox News employee, was selected to be secretary of defense, the candidate said: combat role. ”
Hegseth argued that having women in combat roles “doesn't make us more capable or more lethal” and “makes combat more complex.”
Hegseth commented that she doesn't necessarily support making changes now, saying, “Imagine an agitation in Washington, D.C., actually saying, 'We should reduce the number of female combatants.' If you claim that.”
Hegseth is attending a meeting at the Capitol with senators who need to confirm the vote. (Anna Moneymaker)
“As a disclaimer to everyone out there, we have all served with women and they are amazing. We just don't need to encourage it where it's more capable,” he added. ”
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“I love our military women, who make such an incredible contribution,” she said, but added, “Everything about women serving together complicates things, and complicating combat means worsening casualties.” he claimed.
He also said that higher-ups in the military leadership are changing standards and Prioritize meeting diversity quotas Outweighs combat efficiency. He pointed to a 2015 study by the Marine Corps that found single-sex units were “significantly less effective” in combat than all-male units.
President-elect Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth (left) and his wife Jennifer Hegseth meet with Sen. Mike Rounds (R.S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol. is attending. Washington, Thursday, December 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (AP)
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“Bone density, lung capacity and muscle strength are completely different for men and women,” he says. “So if you guys just keep the standards for everyone the same, and if you have great, cool, hard-charging women who meet those standards joining infantry battalions, I’m fine with that. No.’ What happened was that standards went down. ”
