A Change Agent

Hegseth directly addressed the uniqueness of his nomination by acknowledging that he does not have a biography similar to that of recent defense secretaries. He then added:

“But, as President Trump also told me, we’ve repeatedly placed people atop the Pentagon with supposedly ‘the right credentials’ -- whether they are retired generals, academics, or defense contractor executives -- and where has it gotten us?

“He believes . . . that it’s time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. A change agent. Someone with no vested interest in certain companies or specific programs or approved narratives. My only special interest is -- the warfighter. . . We let them win and then bring them home.”

Hegseth also laid out his vision for our military and national defense. He said:

“The Defense Department under Donald Trump will achieve peace through strength. Unlike the current administration, politics should play no part in military matters. . . Our standards will be high, and they will be equal, not equitable. That’s a very different word. . .

“Every general or flag officer [will be] selected for leadership or promotion purely based on performance, readiness, and merit. . . Warfighting and lethality -- and the readiness of our troops and their families -- will be our only focus.”

Sen. Dan Sullivan asked Hegseth about some of the left-wing agendas that have infiltrated the military. Hegseth assured the senator that under his leadership, top Pentagon officials will not be focused on fighting climate change but will instead be focused on fighting our enemies.

When asked about the effect of eliminating woke policies in the military, without any hesitation, Hegseth said, “I know the troops will rejoice. They will love it.”