{beacon} Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  Trump gets blowback for untested Pentagon chief pick President-elect Trump's surprise choice of Pete Hegseth, a conservative Fox News host, as Defense Secretary has enraged Democrats and left even some Republicans scratching their heads. © Getty Images     The Tuesday evening announcement of Hegseth, a decorated Army veteran, confounded those who had expected a nominee with far more defense policy experience or foreign policy chops.    “Wow,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) replied when asked about the freshly announced choice Tuesday evening. “I’m just surprised, because the names that I’ve heard for secretary of Defense have not included him.”    Former national security adviser John Bolton called Hegseth’s selection “a loyalty choice” but said he didn’t know him well enough to say whether he would sign off on Trump’s oft-repeated campaign threats to use U.S. troops against Americans.    Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) was far more blunt, calling the choice "weird" and that Trump had only chosen Hegseth "because he's on Fox News."   But some key figures on the right were also quick to defend Hegseth, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who called the Fox commentator a “great choice."   Hegseth is a former infantry officer in the Army National Guard who served overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.    He is known for publicly and privately lobbying Trump to pardon service members accused of war crimes, which he did in 2019, despite warnings that it would damage the integrity of the military justice system.    As a Fox News host and conservative commentator, Hegseth has outlined a number of policy positions that would roll back decades of efforts to promote diversity and expand opportunities for women and LGBTQ service members.   He has specifically called for the firing of Joint Chiefs Chair CQ Brown Jr., along with any other generals involved in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, and has said women should not serve in combat roles.   “Hegseth is undoubtedly the least qualified nominee for SecDef in American history. And the most overtly political. Brace yourself, America,” said Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Independent Veterans of America.   Read the full report at TheHill.com.   Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:   House panel hears of hidden UAP trove, ‘secretive arms race’ House lawmakers on Wednesday heard from witnesses who claim the United States government is sitting on a trove of information on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) stretching back decades. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), in his opening remarks, called on President-elect Trump to throw off the veil of secrecy on UAPs. He said the push for transparency has been “bipartisan, bicameral, and as we get into a new administration, …  Full Story   5 things to know about Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Pentagon nominee President-elect Trump has made an unconventional choice in announcing his intention of nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.  It was a surprise choice that already has caused some consternation. Many had expected a nominee with more experience to be selected to lead the Pentagon. Hegseth has been a fierce advocate of “wokeness” in the military, and has suggested banning women from combat …  Full Story   Officials say veterans issues must retain nonpartisan focus as Washington reshapes after elections Lawmakers, government officials and advocacy groups said Wednesday that veterans issues must continue down a nonpartisan track in January, when a new Washington emerges following the 2024 elections that delivered a Republican trifecta in federal government. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, told The Hill’s Bob Cusack at the “Veterans Voices” event …  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin departs tomorrow for a nine-day trip to Australia, the Philippines, Laos, and Fiji to participate in a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Brussels today to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and assure the alliance of sped-up U.S. support for Ukraine ahead of President-elect Trump's return to the White House.   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Trump taps Gabbard for director of national intelligence President-elect Trump announced Wednesday that former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard would serve as his director of national intelligence, a remarkable turnaround for a former Democrat accused of peddling Russian narratives. “For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The Naval Submarine League Symposium event on “Posture for the Future” will hear from Rep. Robert Wittman (R-Va.), among others, at 7 a.m.  The American Bar Association will hold a conference on “National Security Law in the Era of Great Power Competition” with former Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) at 8:45 a.m.  The Center for Strategic and International Studies will have a virtual discussion on “What to Expect from Trump 2.0 for Korea?” at 9:30 a.m. The Middle East Institute will host an online talk on “Rethinking the U.S. Response to Iran’s Levers of Destabilizing Regional Influence,” at 10 a.m.  The Center for Strategic and International Studies will discuss “Readying the Navy’s Platforms: More Players on the Field” with Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby at 1 p.m. The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe will hold a hearing on “Axis of Aggressors: Russia, China and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Against Ukraine” at 2:30 p.m.  The Atlantic Council will host a conversation on “Putting AI to Work for National Security” at 4 p.m.   What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: 'It could be very hard to do our job': Top military officers brace for Trump's potential loyalty review boards (Military.com) Could Trump drop the VA and DOD abortion access policies right away? (Military Times) US and Polish officials open missile defense site that Russia has long protested (The Associated Press)   Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Gaetz resigns from Congress after AG nod Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) will resign from Congress “effective immediately” after being nominated to serve as attorney general by President-elect Trump, … Read more Trump Cabinet picks: Here’s who’s on the list to carry out his agenda President-elect Trump is assembling his Cabinet and senior staff for his second term in the White House before taking office in January. Trump must … Read more   Opinions in The Hill  Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Is it time for Trump to drain the swamp … in Iran? To save Ukraine and avoid World War III, invite it into NATO before Trump takes office What we should have learned (but may have forgotten) from the Vietnam War     You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe