'Who the F--k is This Guy?': Pentagon Chiefs' Fury Over Trump's Shocking Pick of Fox News' Pete Hegseth as Defense Boss

Donald Trump has made his pick for Secretary of Defense – and top Pentagon officials are outraged.

RadarOnline.com can reveal the president-elect made the controversial choice to nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth to oversee the Department of Defense, prompting a wave of criticism from government officials and political pundits.

One former Pentagon official blasted Trump, 78, for using "loyalty" as his "main criteria" for selecting cabinet members.

Eric Edelman, who served as the Pentagon's top policy official during the Bush administration, said: "[Trump] puts the highest value on loyalty.

"It appears that one of the main criteria that’s being used is, how well do people defend Donald Trump on television?"

One defense industry lobbyist was more blunt in his criticism of Hegseth, saying: "Who the f--- is this guy?"

The unnamed lobbyist said they initially hoped Trump would nominate "someone who actually has an extensive background in defense," adding, "that would be a good start," according to Politico.

While Trump campaigned on the promise of purging government officials, who he claimed were part of the "deep state", and would be making his cabinet selections based on those who were most aligned with his beliefs – and thus loyal to his MAGA agenda – Hegseth's nomination still came as a shock to many.

Although Hegseth is an Army National Guard veteran, his experience an an officer fails in comparison to his predecessors, many of which achieved top military honors following decades of service.

Online, veterans, pundits and critics alike voiced outrage over Hegseth's nomination.

Independent Veterans of America founder Paul Rieckhoff posted on X: "Hegseth is undoubtedly the least qualified nominee for SecDef in American history. And the most overtly political. Brace yourself, America."

Rep. Jason Crow urged the Senate to deny the nomination, writing: "Pete Hegseth is not remotely qualified to be Secretary of Defense. "The SecDef makes life-and-death decisions daily that impact our 2 million troops around the globe. "This is not an entry-level job for a TV commentator. The Senate should do its job and deny this nomination."

Even actor Wendell Pierce chimed in, branding Hegseth "the epitome of white privilege" as he called out his background as a "weekend anchor on Fox and Friends, a Major in the National Guard will be the head of the most powerful military in the history of the world."

Pierce went on to highlight while the "military is suppose to be apolitical" Hegseth's nomination "is purely political".

He added: "There are men and women with more experience at the Pentagon than he has been alive. A platoon leader now over the Pentagon.

"Republicans complained about DEI programs promoting incompetence and those who are unqualified. This is the height of hypocrisy."

Since his nomination, videos of Hegseth have gone viral, including an interview in which he voiced his strong opposition to women serving in combat roles.

Hegseth said: "I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.

"It hasn't made us more effective. It hasn't made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated.

"We've all served with women and they're great ... Our institutions don't have to incentivize that in places where, traditionally – not traditionally – over human history, men in those positions are more capable."

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