Hegseth promises shift at Pentagon as he takes reins of US military

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Former Fox News host-turned-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed Monday to reorient the Pentagon to support President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on migration.

Addressing reporters briefly as he entered the Pentagon, Hegseth acknowledged that the Trump administration's approach to the southern US border represents a sharp departure from previous administrations, saying, "This is not the way business has been done in the past."

"The Defense Department will support the defense of the territorial integrity of the United States of America at the southern border, to include reservist National Guard and active duty in compliance with the Constitution, for the laws of our land, and the directives of the Commander in Chief," he said.

Hegseth said Trump would be rolling out additional executive orders Monday, which he said would further remove diversity, equity, and inclusion policies at the Pentagon, reinstate troops who were dismissed because they refused COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and develop an "Iron Dome for America" ballistic missile defense system.

Trump has pledged to build such a system during his 2024 presidential campaign, evoking the missile defense system in place in Israel.

Hegseth said he would further focus on "lethality and readiness and war fighting” during his tenure at the top of the Defense Department.

"I know the chairman agrees that the lawful orders of the president (of the) United States will be executed inside this defense department swiftly and without excuse. We will be no better friend to our allies and no stronger adversary to those who want to test us and try us," he said as he spoke with Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown by his side.