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Popular Information - 13 things everyone should know about Pete Hegseth
Popular Information - 13 things everyone should know about Pete Hegseth
Judd Legum, Rebecca Crosby, and Noel Sims
Nov 18, 2024
Secretary of Defense is one of the most complex and consequential positions on earth. The person in that position is responsible for overseeing the world's largest bureaucracy, the Department of Defense, with over 2.6 million employees and a budget of over $840 billion. The Secretary of Defense is tasked with managing this massive institution to ensure the short-term and long-term security of the United States.
On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth, the weekend co-host of Fox & Friends, to be the next Secretary of Defense.
Hegseth is a military veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and received a Bronze Star and other commendations. He also served in the National Guard. But the largest organization that Hegseth has previously run is Concerned Veterans for America, a Koch-funded right-wing advocacy organization, where he served as Executive Director from 2012 to 2016. Concerned Veterans for America had a few dozen employees and a budget of around $15 million during his tenure. In that role, Hegseth hired his younger brother, who had just graduated college, to a well-compensated media relations position at the CVA. Hegseth founded a small PAC in his native Minnesota to support conservative candidates. It managed to raise about $15,000 over several years. One-third of the raised funds were "spent on two Christmas parties and reimbursements to Hegseth."
Even Trump's most loyal supporters acknowledge Hegseth's lack of relevant experience. Steve Bannon, Trump's chief strategist during his first term, said that Hegseth has "never run a big organization" and is "kind of a madman."
But while Hegseth has limited management experience, he has spent many years in the public eye and has a long record of punditry. Here are 13 things everyone should know about the man Trump wants to put in charge of the nation's military.
/snip
Judd Legum, Rebecca Crosby, and Noel Sims
Nov 18, 2024
Secretary of Defense is one of the most complex and consequential positions on earth. The person in that position is responsible for overseeing the world's largest bureaucracy, the Department of Defense, with over 2.6 million employees and a budget of over $840 billion. The Secretary of Defense is tasked with managing this massive institution to ensure the short-term and long-term security of the United States.
On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth, the weekend co-host of Fox & Friends, to be the next Secretary of Defense.
Hegseth is a military veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and received a Bronze Star and other commendations. He also served in the National Guard. But the largest organization that Hegseth has previously run is Concerned Veterans for America, a Koch-funded right-wing advocacy organization, where he served as Executive Director from 2012 to 2016. Concerned Veterans for America had a few dozen employees and a budget of around $15 million during his tenure. In that role, Hegseth hired his younger brother, who had just graduated college, to a well-compensated media relations position at the CVA. Hegseth founded a small PAC in his native Minnesota to support conservative candidates. It managed to raise about $15,000 over several years. One-third of the raised funds were "spent on two Christmas parties and reimbursements to Hegseth."
Even Trump's most loyal supporters acknowledge Hegseth's lack of relevant experience. Steve Bannon, Trump's chief strategist during his first term, said that Hegseth has "never run a big organization" and is "kind of a madman."
But while Hegseth has limited management experience, he has spent many years in the public eye and has a long record of punditry. Here are 13 things everyone should know about the man Trump wants to put in charge of the nation's military.
/snip
emptywheel
@emptywheel.bsky.social
There are a lot of good pieces on who Pete Hegseth is; here's another good piece from
@juddlegum.bsky.social.
popular.info/p/13-things-...
November 18, 2024 at 6:58 AM
@emptywheel.bsky.social
There are a lot of good pieces on who Pete Hegseth is; here's another good piece from
@juddlegum.bsky.social.
popular.info/p/13-things-...
November 18, 2024 at 6:58 AM
https://bsky.app/profile/emptywheel.bsky.social/post/3lb7ulxjve22w