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Pete Hegseth was sworn in as Secretary of Defense Saturday morning, declaring it “the honor of a lifetime” and pledging that he would put America first by bringing peace through strength.
Hegseth, 44, a former Minnesota National Guard officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, will lead the Pentagon after weeks of intense political drama surrounding his nomination and public scrutiny of his private life. I secured the role.
“All praise and glory to God. He did it and we are grateful to be here,” Hegseth said after taking the oath of office, surrounded by his wife Jenny and children. said.
Pete Hegseth is surrounded by his wife Jennifer Rouchet and his seven children being sworn in as Secretary of Defense by Vice President J.D. Vance in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2025. It is. Robert Schmidt/afp)
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“And like I said in my hearing, it was Jesus and Jenny. I wouldn’t be here without you, sweetheart. Thank you so much.”
“I want to thank the President of the United States of America, our commander in chief, Donald Trump. We couldn’t have had a better commander than him.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, also thanked Vice President J.D. Vance, who oversaw the swearing-in ceremony and won the deciding vote Friday.
The Senate was deadlocked 50-50 with three Republicans (Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Mitch McConnell, R-KY). – Join Democrats in opposing Hegseth’s confirmation.
The stalemate forced Vance to secure his confirmation and hold a tie vote.
“This is not the first time the headline has read: Junior rescues a Marine,” Hegseth said to laughter from those in attendance.
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The first vice president to serve as a Marine, Vance was a combat correspondent from 2003 to 2007, including a tour in Iraq, before transitioning to civilian life and attending Ohio State University.
Trump on Friday congratulated Hegseth on the Truth Society and said he would make a “great, great” secretary of defense. Other Republicans praised his confirmation and predicted he would bring transformative changes to the Pentagon.
Heggs praised veterans and those who served with him in the past, as well as the 1.3 million active service members and 1 million civilians who work for the military he currently leads.
“The first thing that goes through my head is the men I served with on the battlefield, the men and women with whom I locked shields, who put my life on the line and never got the spotlight. “These are people who didn’t have cameras, so people don’t know who did what in a dark, dangerous place,” Hegseth said.
“In the Pentagon, we remember. We think about those warriors with every decision we make.”
“We will put America first. We will bring peace through strength.”
He outlined three principles he said he would bring to the Pentagon.
“We restore the warrior spirit to everything we do, rebuild our military, and reestablish deterrence. We don’t want to fight wars. We want to stop them.” said Hegseth.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies at the Senate Armed Services Confirmation Hearing in Washington, DC, on January 14 (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“We want to finish them off responsibly, but if we have to fight them, we will use overwhelming and decisive forces to close down and destroy the enemy and bring the boys home.” I’m going to bring you strength. It’s a lifelong honor.”
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Shortly after he was sworn in, Hegseth released a statement addressed to members of the Pentagon via the Department of Defense’s website. The statement addressed his three principles.
“All of this will be done with a focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards and preparedness,” the statement reads.
“I have committed my life to fighters and their families. Just as my fellow soldiers had their backs on the battlefield, I know that I will always have your back. We We serve together in a time of danger. The enemy will not rest or relent. We will not stand shoulder to shoulder to meet the exigencies of this moment.”
“Like all of you, I love my country and swore an oath to protect our Constitution. We do it every day as one team. Together, we will stop war and respond as necessary.” Defeat, defeat and destroy our enemies!”
Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to Michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
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