My problem with Pete Hegseth is not necessarily his character issues, which one could defend him and say they are accusations and there’s no proof, ok, I get that. He can surely promise not to drink and to be a good boy and all that, ok, got it, it’s very possible he behaves and he’s on best behavior for his time serving for Trump.
My problem with him is more about does he have the knowledge and ability to do what he is supposed to do? Usually, when someone is appointed Secretary of Defense, they are a four star General or someone else very high up in military rank, who has served their time, learned what there is to know, knows the ins and outs of the military, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and most importantly, would know how to wage a war if it ever came down to that.
When I looked at Wikipedia to brush up before typing this, this is what they say about his experience:
After graduating from Princeton University, Hegseth began his career working as an analyst for Bear Stearns. From 2003 to 2014 and again from 2019 to 2021, he served as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard, attaining the rank of Major. He received the Bronze Star while serving in the special operations forces during a combat deployment to Iraq in 2005. In 2014, he voluntarily deployed to Afghanistan to train the Afghan security forces. Following his military service, Hegseth became an active figure in conservative and Republican politics and was the executive director of Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. From 2014 to 2025, he was a political commentator for Fox News and was a weekend co-host of Fox & Friends from 2017 to 2024.
He’s what I would call “light” on experience.
When someone does that job as a four star General or something high up, they have earned the respect of those under them. Hegseth is coming in with very little experience, and so that’s where I am hesitant to think this is going to go well.