1. United States
2. W.V.
3. Letter

Serious concerns are being raised about the nomination of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense due to his lack of senior leadership experience and controversial positions. As a Fox News host and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Hegseth has no background commanding large military operations or overseeing an organization as massive as the $849 billion Department of Defense with nearly 3 million employees. Lawmakers from both parties, including combat veterans like Rep. Jason Crow, have stated that Hegseth is "woefully unqualified" for this critical role requiring life-or-death decisions about deploying U.S. military forces. His criticism of the Pentagon's diversity efforts and vocal support for service members accused of war crimes have also raised alarm. With America's national security at stake, I urge you to thoroughly scrutinize Hegseth's fitness to lead the Defense Department and whether a more qualified nominee should be sought. The Secretary of Defense is not an entry-level position and demands proven senior leadership capabilities that Hegseth appears to lack based on his record.