Trump taps Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense.

Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday night.

He listed Hegseth's experience as a veteran and his media experience as his reasons for the choice.

"Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice - Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down," Trump said in the post.

Hegseth, 44, did not immediately comment on the announcement. The position will need approval from the Senate before official.

Hegseth graduated from Princeton University in 2003, where he published a student conservative publication, and later served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army National Guard and was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan. He also earned a Master's degree in 2014 from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Hegseth served as executive director of the advocacy group Concerned Veterans for America.

The non-profit has said its position is to give "more choice in health care for veterans," which includes Veterans Administration care and private care.

Hegseth joined FOX News in 2014 as a contributor and co-hosts "FOX & Friends Weekend" and offers commentary on the network's other programs, where he has consistently bashed Democrats on various topics from LGBTQ issues to foreign policy.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that the non-profit has said its position is to give "more choice in health care for veterans," which includes VA care and private care.