A Veto for the Defense Secretary: Senator Warren says Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense should be rejected

By Alyssa Buford

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (D) publicly denounced Trump’s decision to place Fox News host Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense.

Hegeseth, a veteran, was announced as Trump’s nominee for the position on November 12, via CNN’s X (formerly Twitter) page. Hegeseth is a conservative media personality who has supported the release of service members with allegations of war crimes and had been considered for a position in Trump’s previous administration.

“A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense. Donald Trump’s pick will make us less safe and must be rejected” said Warren in response to the news.

According to the Associated Press, Hegeseth lacks senior or national military experience, serving as an infantry captain in the Army National Guard as well as the head of the Concerned Veterans for America, a group backed by conservative billionaires. Additionally, Hegeseth tried to run for a 2012 Senate seat in Minnesota but ultimately was not elected for the spot.

“Half of all federal spending goes toward the Department of Defense, which has a profound impact on our nation’s financial health. How we treat our active duty military, our veterans, and our military families has an important impact on who serves and what their experiences are like,” said Warren in a previous interview for Boston.com.