Fox News host Pete Hegseth has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of Defense, overseeing the largest agency in the U.S. federal government, which includes a total of 3 million troops and civilian personnel. Hegseth is a supporter of Bitcoin, having praised that “Trump made Bitcoin great again” and stated that he would not sell his Bitcoin.
(Background: Trump announces the appointment of Elon Musk to lead the government efficiency office DOGE, aiming to dismantle the bureaucratic system, with the Shiba Inu logo unveiled.)
(Additional context: Arthur Hayes’ new perspective: Trump’s administration will usher in infinite QE, and Bitcoin is expected to reach $1 million.)
President-elect Donald Trump continues to announce members of his cabinet, today revealing that Fox News host Pete Hegseth will be appointed as Secretary of Defense. In a statement, Trump described Hegseth as strong and savvy, a true believer in America First, and stated that under his leadership, the U.S. military would be great again.
According to Reuters, as a veteran, Hegseth has expressed dissatisfaction with the Pentagon’s leadership awakening policies. Once confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth is expected to fulfill Trump’s campaign promise of removing military leaders accused of promoting progressive diversity policies within the armed forces, policies that have faced opposition from conservatives.
This appointment may also lead to conflicts between Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, as Hegseth has previously accused Brown of “following the extreme positions of leftist politicians.”
Support for Bitcoin
Pete Hegseth graduated from prestigious institutions Princeton and Harvard, is a veteran of the Army National Guard, and has served in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, earning the Bronze Star twice. He has stated that he left the military in 2021 because he felt marginalized due to the military’s rejection of his political and religious views.
Hegseth has been a commentator on Fox News since 2014, during which time he has hosted New Year’s Eve specials and conducted interviews with then-President Trump. In 2022, he became a regular on a high-rating morning show. This June, he published a new book titled “The War on Our Warriors,” criticizing the leftward tilt of American society and the neglect of military families engaged in global warfare.
Notably, Hegseth is a proponent of cryptocurrency. He has praised that “Trump made Bitcoin great again” and emphasized that “the value of Bitcoin lies in its lack of government control,” declaring on Fox News that he would not sell his Bitcoin.
Major calls for the Pentagon to adopt Bitcoin
The U.S. Department of Defense is the largest public agency in the federal government, with an annual budget of $850 billion, managing a total of 3 million troops and civilians. With Hegseth set to lead the Pentagon, his support for Bitcoin is noteworthy.
Last year, Major Jason of the U.S. Space Force wrote a letter to the Pentagon, elaborating on the strategic significance of Bitcoin’s proof-of-work (PoW) for national cybersecurity. He pointed out that Bitcoin’s PoW network represents a 21st-century counterstrategy, asserting that Bitcoin is not just a financial innovation but a formalized revolution in cybersecurity, perfectly aligning with the concept of strategic deterrence.
Further reading: U.S. Major’s letter to the Pentagon: Bitcoin is a great innovation that can usher in a new era of national defense cybersecurity.
Major Jason also authored a piece arguing that the consensus mechanism of Bitcoin will bring about significant changes in global warfare dynamics. Future conflicts will not revolve around boots on the ground or nuclear weapons but rather Bitcoin block rewards. He called for the United States to fully support the mining industry in order to protect American and allied strategic interests:
