Summary

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s embattled nominee for defense secretary, has denounced policies allowing openly gay troops and women in combat roles as part of a “Marxist” agenda undermining military readiness.

In his book The War on Warriors and past interviews, Hegseth criticized the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” and argued that inclusivity erodes standards.

Accused of misconduct, his views against women in combat and seeing inclusivity as a threat to national security have been closely examined during his confirmation process.