Washington- US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the nomination of popular Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth, 44, as his defense secretary.
“I am honoured to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense,” Trump announced Tuesday night.
“Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy,” he said.
“Pete has spent his entire life as a warrior for the troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice,” he added.
“Our military will be great again, and America will never back down,” Trump declared.
A graduate of Princeton University, Hegseth has a graduate degree from Harvard University. He is an Army combat veteran who did tours in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan. For his actions on the battlefield, he was decorated with two Bronze stars, as well as a Combat Infantryman’s badge.
“Pete has been a host at FOX News for eight years, where he used that platform to fight for our military and veterans. Pete’s recent book ‘The War on Warriors’ spent nine weeks on the New York Times best-sellers list, including two weeks at number one,” Trump said.
“The book reveals the left wing betrayal of our warriors, and how we must return our military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence. Pete has also led two veterans’ advocacy organisations, leading the fight for our warriors, and our great veterans,” he added.
Trump nominates S Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary
US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the nomination of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as his Homeland Security Secretary.
“I am pleased to announce that the Governor and former Congresswoman from South Dakota, Kristi Noem, will be appointed to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Kristi has been very strong on Border Security,” Trump said.
She was the first governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times, Trump said, adding that Noem will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the Border, and will guarantee that American Homeland is secure from its adversaries.
“I have known Kristi for years, and have worked with her on a wide variety of projects. She will be a great part of our mission to ‘Make America Safe Again’,” he said.
Noem in a statement said she is honoured and humbled that Trump has selected her for the position of Secretary of Homeland Security.
“I look forward to working with Border Czar Tom Homan to make America Safe again. With Donald Trump, we will secure the Border, and restore safety to American communities so that families will again have the opportunity to pursue The American Dream,” her statement added.
Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to lead Department of Government Efficiency: Trump
US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that Tesla owner Elon Musk and Indian American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE.
“I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” Trump announced.
Ramaswamy is the first Indian American to have been tapped by Trump into his administration beginning January 20 next year.
“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies — essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,” he said.
“This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people!” stated Musk, as per the statement issued by Trump.
The US President-elect said this will become, potentially, “The Manhattan Project of the current time”.
Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of DOGE for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management and Budget to drive large-scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to the government never seen before, he said.
“I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the federal bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans. Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual USD 6.5 trillion of government spending,” said the president-elect.
“They will work together to liberate our economy, and make the US government accountable to ‘WE THE PEOPLE’. Their work will conclude no later than July 4, 2026. A smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence. I am confident they will succeed!” Trump declared.
Trump appoints businessman Steven Witkoff as Special Envoy to Middle East
US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the appointment of successful real estate investor and philanthropist Steven C Witkoff as his Special Envoy to the Middle East, giving him the mandate to restore peace in the region.
“I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Steven C Witkoff to be Special Envoy to the Middle East,” Trump announced.
“Steven is a highly respected leader in business and philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous,” he said.
Trump said “Steve will be an unrelenting voice for peace, and make us all proud.”
The new special envoy to the Middle East is the chairman and CEO of Witkoff, which he founded in 1997. Since founding the firm, Witkoff has leveraged his extensive real estate expertise to successfully lead the financing, repositioning, and construction of over 70 properties in major business districts in the US as well as abroad and with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, a media release said.
Before founding Witkoff, he co-founded Stellar Management Company, where he acquired and repositioned a portfolio of residential buildings in New York City. Earlier in his career, he practiced real estate law at Dreyer & Traub and Rosenman & Colin, where he represented a number of large developers and investors.
Witkoff has served on the Executive Committee for the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) as a trustee for the Intrepid Foundation, and as a board member for the Jeffrey Modell Foundation.
He currently serves as Chairman of the University of Miami Business School Real Estate Advisory Board and is a member of the Hofstra University Board of Trustees.
In October 2019, he was honoured with a Presidential appointment to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He is a widely sought-after public speaker on trends in global real estate.
Trump says John Ratcliffe will head CIA, picks ex-Arkansas Gov Huckabee as ambassador to Israel
US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will head the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under his administration. He also picked former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as his ambassador to Israel.
In a series of announcements on key positions, Trump also declared Congressman Mike Waltz his National Security Advisor who would serve in his Cabinet and asserted that his NSA pick is an expert on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and global terrorism.
For the position of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Trump picked successful real estate investor and philanthropist Steven C Witkoff, giving him the mandate to restore peace in the region.
He also declared his former White House cabinet secretary Bill McGinley as the White House Counsel in his second term beginning January 20 next year.
Speaking highly of Ratcliffe, Trump said, “From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public.”
“When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People,” he added.
“For these and many other reasons, it was my great honour in 2020 to award John the National Security Medal, the nation’s highest honour for distinguished achievement in the field of Intelligence and National Security,” he said.
Ratcliffe previously served as the sixth director of National Intelligence (DNI). In this role, he served as the leader of the US intelligence community and principal intelligence advisor to President Trump in his first term.
Announcing his pick for ambassador to Israel, Trump said, “Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!” he said.
Huckabee, 69, was the governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. His daughter Sarah Sanders Huckabee is the current governor of Arkansas.
Declaring his NSA appointment, the US President-elect said, “Mike (Waltz) retired as a Colonel, and is a nationally recognized leader in National Security, a bestselling author, and an expert on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and global terrorism.”
Waltz serves as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
He represents Florida’s Sixth Congressional District. He is the first Green Beret to be elected to Congress, and a former White House and Pentagon policy advisor. He served 27 years in the US Army and National Guard.
In a detailed statement, Waltz said he is deeply honoured as Trump is placing his trust in him to serve in his Cabinet as National Security Advisor. There is no higher calling than defending the nation’s values, freedoms, and the safety of every American, he said.
The new special envoy to the Middle East is the chairman and CEO of Witkoff, which he founded in 1997. Since founding the firm, Witkoff has leveraged his extensive real estate expertise to successfully lead the financing, repositioning, and construction of over 70 properties in major business districts in the US as well as abroad and with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, a media release said.
“Steve is a highly respected leader in business and philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous,” Trump said, announcing Witkoff’s appointment.
For McGinley, Trump said, “He served in his first term as White House cabinet secretary and played a major role in our election victory as the RNC’s outside counsel for election integrity,” he said.
The White House Counsel plays a key role in vetting Supreme Court candidates and nominees.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
