Pentagon stunned after Trump picks Pete Hegseth for defence secretary

National guard veteran and Fox News presenter has been a critic of military and has minimal managerial experience

The Pentagon has been stunned by Donald Trump's pick for defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, a national guard veteran and Fox News presenter who has called for a purge of generals for pursuing woke" diversity policies.

Hegseth has questioned whether the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Charles Brown, was given the top job because he is black and accused him of pursuing the radical positions of leftwing politicians".