Trump says he will nominate Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth as his defense secretary

Newly elected US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he will nominate Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and army veteran, as his defense secretary.

Hegseth deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before joining Fox News.

“With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice: Our military will be great again, and America will never back down,” Trump said in a statement. “No one fights harder for the troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our 'Peace Through Strength' policy.”

Trump also announced on Tuesday that he is nominating former US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. He also said he had chosen former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel and his longtime friend Steven Witkoff as special envoy to the Middle East.

In a flurry of announcements, Trump also named Bill McGinley, his Cabinet secretary during his first administration, as his White House counsel.

Trump is rolling out a steady stream of appointees and nominees for his coming administration, so far working at a faster pace and without as much drama as his first transition after his 2016 victory.

Ratcliffe served during Trump's first term

Ratcliffe, a former Republican congressman from Texas, served as director of national intelligence during the final months of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a more traditional choice for the role, which requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate, than some rumored loyalists being pushed by some Trump supporters.

As director of intelligence, Ratcliffe was criticized by Democrats for releasing Russian intelligence in the final days of the 2020 presidential election that claimed damaging information about Democrats in the 2016 race, even as he acknowledged this may not have been true .

Ratcliffe's visibility increased when he emerged as a staunch defender of Trump in 2019 during the House of Representatives' first impeachment proceedings against him. He served on Trump's impeachment advisory team and interviewed witnesses extensively during the impeachment hearings.

After the Democratic-controlled House voted to impeach Trump, Ratcliffe said, “This is the thinnest, fastest, weakest impeachment our country has ever seen.” He also vigorously questioned former special counsel Robert Mueller when he testified before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our nation's top intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a fearless fighter for the constitutional rights of all Americans while safeguarding the highest levels of national security and peace through strength.”

Trump won the White House in the November 5 election, defeating his Democratic opponent, US Vice President Kamala Harris.

The 78-year-old Trump will return to power after a four-year absence from the Oval Office. He is only the second candidate ever to win non-consecutive terms in the White House.

Trump will also be the first convicted felon to become president.