Trump Defense Secretary Nominee Declares 'We Should Not Have Women in Combat Roles' in Resurfaced Clip

Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host that Donald Trump has nominated to be his Secretary of Defense, previously declared that women should not be in "combat roles."

Hegseth, one of the hosts of Fox & Friends Weekend, shocked the defense world as Trump's pick to run the country's military. But he is also making the rounds for resurfaced comments about female soldiers.

Speaking at the Shawn Ryan Show on Nov. 7, Hegseth said, "I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn't made us more effective, hasn't made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated."

"We have all served with women and they're great. But our institutions don't have to incentivize that in places where traditionally ... over human history, men in those positions are more capable," Hegseth continued.

The appointment of Hegseth, a former Army National Guard captain, has been met with surprise by members of the Defense establishment, with some questioning whether he is qualified to serve as defense secretary after Trump passed on several more established candidates, as reported by the Associated Press.

"Hegseth is undoubtedly the least qualified nominee for SecDef in American history. And the most overtly political. Brace yourself, America," Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Independent Veterans of America, wrote on X.

While Hegseth's combat experience is a plus for the candidate, Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AP "I think Trump was tired of fighting with his secretaries of defense and picked one who would be loyal to him."

Hegseth has yet to be confirmed to the position by the Senate.