Donald Trump taps loyalists for top national safety and Mideast posts

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he would nominate Fox information host Pete Hegseth to be his secretary of defence and former Texas congressman John Ratcliffe to be director of the CIA, as he tapped hardliners and loyalists for his national safety and foreign policy teams.

Hegseth, a 44-year-ancient army veteran who has no government encounter, is an unconventional selection to navigator one of the country’s largest employers, which includes almost 3mn military and civilian employees.

“Pete is tough, intelligent and a factual believer in America First. 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.

The president-elect had a fraught connection with civilian and military leaders at the Pentagon during his first term in office, churning through five secretaries of defence in four years. The selection of Hegseth suggests he will have a close friend who will be willing to enact his policy pronouncements and decisions.

Ratcliffe, who was director of national intelligence in the final year of Trump’s first term, is another staunch friend who, while in Congress, was a sharp critic of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for truth and honesty with the American community,” Trump said. “He will be a fearless fighter for the constitutional rights of all Americans, while ensuring the highest levels of national safety, and tranquility through strength.”

Critics of Ratcliffe’s tenure as director of National Intelligence said he used the post to carry out Trump’s political agenda, including declassifying intelligence to use for political purposes, excluding Democratic lawmakers from briefings, accusing opponents of leaks and making community assertions that contradicted intelligence assessments.

If Ratcliffe is confirmed, he will be the first person to be have held the roles of CIA director and director of national intelligence.

The appointments were among a series announced by Trump’s shift throng on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Trump said he would nominate former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel and that his longtime partner, donor and fellow real estate mogul Steve Witkoff to be his special envoy for the Middle East. He also nominated South Dakota governor Kristi Noem as homeland safety secretary, with a mandate to stem immigration across the US southern border.

Trump on Monday picked a number of other loyalists with hardline views who will shape US foreign policy decisions in his recent administration. They include Florida congressman Mike Waltz as national safety adviser and recent York congresswoman Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the UN. Marco Rubio, the Florida senator, is widely expected to become secretary of state.

Trump’s Middle East appointments are a sign that the US will receive an even friendlier way than Joe Biden’s administration towards the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, potentially allowing it to continue its military campaigns against Hamas and Hizbollah.

During the presidential campaign, Trump was able to triumph over a larger distribute of Arab-American voters than he did in 2020 because of their rage at Biden’s back for Israel’s war in Gaza, vowing to deliver tranquility to the region.

But is not obvious that a closer US connection with Netanyahu will assist complete the conflicts in the Middle East. Huckabee, whose daughter Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the current Arkansas governor — spent years working to bolster back for Israel among evangelical Christians in the US and was praised by Trump on Tuesday.

“Mike has been a great community servant, Governor, and chief in belief for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel adore him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about tranquility in the Middle East!” Trump said. 

Witkoff — who called Netanyahu’s address to Congress earlier this year “epic” and “deeply moving” — is co-chair of Trump’s inaugural committee, along with former US senator and Intercontinental swap executive Kelly Loeffler.

Witkoff has known Trump for decades. He spoke at the Republican National Convention touting the former president’s “compassion” and was on the golf course with him during the second assassination attempt on him in September.

The two men’s sons are also friends: Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, Alex Witkoff and Zach Witkoff promoted a cryptocurrency business, globe Liberty monetary, on X a couple of months ago. Zach had his wedding at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in 2022.

Alex Witkoff, who is co-chief executive of household real estate firm Witkoff throng with his father Steve, told the monetary Times last week that his identity as a Jewish person was a rationale for his back of Trump.

“In Trump, you had a fierce, ardent supporter of the Jewish people,” he said.