PETE HEGSETH

CNN -   Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, has voiced strong opposition to removing the names of Confederate generals from US military bases, repeatedly saying the names should be changed back. Hegseth, a National Guard veteran and longtime Fox News host, has described the renaming efforts as “a sham,” “garbage,” and “crap” in various media appearances between 2021 and 2024 reviewed by CNN. Hegseth said the moves eroded military tradition and were part of what he characterized as a politically motivated progressive agenda infiltrating American institutions.

Between 2022 and 2023, the names of nine US military bases previously dedicated to Confederate leaders were changed, the result of the National Defense Authorization Act passed at the end of the first Trump administration. Trump initially vetoed the bill, partly in protest over the renaming provision, but Congress overwhelmingly overrode the veto to pass the bill in January 2021 .

MSNBC -  Much of the opposition to former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, whom President-elect Donald Trump has nominated to serve as Secretary of Defense, has centered on allegations that he’s abused women and alcohol. Hegseth has denied mistreating women and denied a woman’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her in a California hotel room in 2017 and he was never charged in the case. He reached a confidential settlement with his accuser last year. Though he’s denied reports that he had a drinking problem that his co-workers noticed, he’s promised that he is “not going to have a drink at all” if he is confirmed as secretary of defense.

Hegseth should not be confirmed as Secretary of Defense. He would be a poor choice even if every allegation related to him harming women and abusing alcohol were proved false. The Senate Armed Services Committee will consider his nomination Tuesday, and if the senators who will exercise their “advice and consent” authority think deeply about their responsibilities,  they will realize he is far from qualified for this role — and that putting him in charge could pose a threat to our national security.

Daily Beast -  New questions are being raised about the FBI background check conducted for President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, on the eve of Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing. Investigators reportedly did not interview the current and former Fox News staff who anonymously accused Hegseth of concerning drinking at work events, allegations which were first reported by NBC News in December. Instead, they just interviewed a public relations representative for the cable network, according to a new report in The New Yorker, citing sources.