Hegseth’s Defense Nomination Sparks Outrage Over Anti-LGBTQ+ Remarks
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, has voiced strong criticism of policies allowing openly gay service members, viewing them as part of a broader “Marxist” social justice agenda detrimental to military readiness. He initially expressed ambivalence towards the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” but later regretted this stance, characterizing the repeal as a catalyst for undesirable cultural shifts within the military. Hegseth has since appeared to partially retract his previous statements, while maintaining concerns about what he sees as a focus on social issues over combat effectiveness. His criticisms extend to other policies, such as women in combat roles and transgender service members.
John Q. Hosedrinker