EXCLUSIVE: Growing Number of Veterans Endorse Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary Nomination
A growing number of prominent veterans are signing onto an open letter endorsing Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth as he battles back allegations that may stymie his confirmation. The Heritage Foundation began collecting signatures on Thursday and garnered more than 74 in that short time, a foundation official told Fox News Digital.
As military veterans and patriotic Americans, we are pleased to see an outstanding veteran nominated to lead the Department of Defense, the letter begins. Hegseth is a decorated combat veteran who served as an Infantry Officer in the Army National Guard, deploying overseas to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman Badge.
The veterans state that Hegseth has “worked tirelessly” to support U.S. troops and that his experience and drive will lead him in rebuilding the military back to a “fighting force… capable of defending the national security interests of the American people.”
They cite Hegseth’s long-held stance on “depoliticizing” the military and his rebuttals of “DEI”-type policies and other “toxic ideologies” they claim have been foisted upon troops in recent years. The veterans also expressed frustration with the Pentagon’s bureaucratic issues and the defense industry’s failures to deliver effective weapons and equipment.
Dan Caldwell, a veteran of the Marine Corps and Camp David security force, joined Eddie Gallagher, of the Pipe Hitters Foundation, in signing the letter, as well as at least 40 other prominent veterans in supporting Hegseth’s nomination.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has also publicly shown support for Hegseth. The letter concludes that Pete Hegseth shares their priorities and is ready to execute the Commander-in-Chief’s agenda on day one.
Pete Hegseth said he refused to back down from a fight as his nomination remains in limbo amid drinking and sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied. The letter signatories called Hegseth a “right kind of fighter for America” who will “clean up” the Pentagon.
Victoria Coates, a former adviser on national security to both Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, said Hegseth would be “a literal breath of fresh air in the musty halls of the Pentagon.”