Trump Names Fox News Host Pete Hegseth to Head Pentagon, John Ratcliffe to Lead CIA

Pete Hegseth

President Donald Trump has nominated Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be the next secretary of the Army, the White House announced Thursday.

Hegseth, a former Army Ranger and Fox News contributor, is a vocal supporter of Trump and his policies.

If confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth would replace Mark Esper, who was fired by Trump last month.

John Ratcliffe

Trump has also nominated John Ratcliffe, a former U.S. attorney and Republican congressman from Texas, to be the next director of the CIA.

Ratcliffe has been a strong critic of the intelligence community and has accused it of being biased against Trump.

If confirmed by the Senate, Ratcliffe would replace Gina Haspel, who is retiring.

Reaction

The nominations have been met with mixed reaction.

Some have praised Hegseth's military experience and conservative credentials.

Others have raised concerns about his lack of experience in government and his close ties to Trump.

Ratcliffe's nomination has also been met with criticism, with some questioning his qualifications and his past statements about the intelligence community.

Next Steps

The nominations will now go to the Senate for confirmation.

It is unclear when the Senate will vote on the nominations.

If confirmed, Hegseth and Ratcliffe would take over their new roles at a time of great uncertainty for the Pentagon and the CIA.