Pete Hegseth was sworn in defense minister On Saturday morning, declaring it “the honor of a lifetime,” he promised to put America first by bringing peace through strength.
Hegseth, 44, a former Minnesota National Guard officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was given the Pentagon command post after weeks of intense political drama surrounding his nomination and public scrutiny of his personal life.
An ecstatic Hegseth said after taking the oath of office, surrounded by his wife, Jenny, and his children, “All praise and glory be to God. His will will be done and we are grateful to be here.”
Pete Hegseth is surrounded by his wife Jennifer Rauchette and seven children as he is sworn in as Secretary of Defense by Vice President J.D. Vance in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 25, 2025. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP)
“And like I said at the hearing, they were Jesus and Jenny. I wouldn’t be here without you, honey. Thank you so much.”
“I want to thank the President of the United States, our Commander-in-Chief, Donald Trump. We cannot have a better leader than him. It is the honor of a lifetime, sir, to serve under your command. We look forward to supporting our forces and your support in implementing peace through strength, in putting America first and in rebuilding our military.”
He also thanked Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor Vice President J.D. Vancewho oversaw the swearing-in ceremony and whose decisive vote on Friday overrode his nomination.
The Senate is deadlocked 50-50 with three Republicans — Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. —Joining Democrats in opposing Hegseth’s confirmation.
The stalemate forced Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote, ensuring his confirmation.
“It’s not the first time the headline has read, ‘Junior enlists in Marines saves junior Army officer,'” Hegseth joked to laughter from the audience.
Defense Minister Pete Hegseth hugs his children after being sworn in.
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Vance, the first vice president to serve as a Marine, was a combat correspondent from 2003 to 2007, including a tour in Iraq, before transitioning to civilian life and attending Ohio State University.
Trump congratulated Hegseth on Truth Social on Friday, saying he “will be a great secretary” of defense. Other Republicans praised his confirmation, predicting that he would bring transformative change to the country Pentagon.
Hegseth went on to pay tribute to veterans and those who have served alongside him in the past, as well as the 1.3 million active-duty members and nearly 1 million civilians who work in the military he now leads.
“The first thing that comes to my mind are the men I served with on the battlefield, the men and women I locked up with, who put my life on the line, who were never in the spotlight, who never had cameras,” Hegseth said. “People don’t know what they did.” In dark and dangerous places.
“At the Pentagon, we will remember, and we will think about these warriors in every decision we make.”
“We will put America first. We will achieve peace through strength.”
He identified three principles that he said he would present to the Pentagon.
“Restoring the warrior spirit in everything we do, rebuilding our military and rebuilding deterrence,” Hegseth said. “We don’t want to fight wars, we want to deter them.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies during his Senate Armed Forces confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
“We want to eliminate them responsibly, but if we need to fight them, we will use overwhelming, decisive force to shut down and destroy the enemy and bring our boys home. And for my other family who are here as well, and I am Love, it is the honor of a lifetime.”
Shortly after being sworn in, Hegseth issued a statement on the Department of Defense website addressing members of the Pentagon. The statement addressed its three principles.
“All of this will be done with an emphasis on lethality, merit, accountability, standards and preparedness,” the statement read.
“I have dedicated my life to my warfighters and their families. Just as my fellow Soldiers have supported me on the battlefield, know that I will always support you. We serve together in a dangerous time. Our enemies will not rest nor relent. And we, too, will stand shoulder to shoulder to meet the urgency of this moment.”
“Like every one of you, I love my country and have sworn an oath to defend the Constitution. And we will do that every day, as a team. Together, we will accomplish the President’s mission of deterring war and, if necessary, defeating and defeating.” Destroy our enemies.
Fox News’ Landon Munn contributed to this report.
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2025-01-25 17:52:00
