Hegseth has questioned whether the current chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Charles Brown, was given the top job because he is black and accused him of "pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians".
Hegseth was a major in the Minnesota national guard who served as a prison guard at Guantanamo Bay detention camp and served in Iraq and Afghanistan before becoming an outspoken critic of the military.
He has argued for faster provision of more US weapons to Ukraine for its defence against Russia, but also called US Nato membership into question.
This story is from the November 14, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 14, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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