![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Screen-Shot-2024-11-13-at-5.42.06-AM.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Tuesday saw a burst of announcements from President-elect Donald Trump as he moves to fill important cabinet and administration positions ahead of Inauguration Day.<\/p>\n
Among the picks so far have been some staunchly pro-Israel voices, including\u00a0Elise Stefanik<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0as U.N. Ambassador, former Arkansas governor\u00a0Mike Huckabee<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for Ambassador to Israel, and Steven Witkoff as special envoy to the Middle East.<\/p>\n Trump also announced his selection of Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, in a somewhat surprising move. Hegseth, who grew up in a Baptist family in Minnesota and served in the U.S. Army National Guard in several arenas, has been a strong advocate for Israel during his time in Fox News, where he also met Trump.<\/p>\n The announcement of Hegseth\u2019s appointment as Secretary of Defense surprised many due to his lack of senior or command-level experience. Hegseth served as an infantry captain in the Army National Guard in areas such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and in Guantanamo Bay.<\/p>\n Several people expressed surprise at the appointment due to Hegseth\u2019s lack of national security and command experience.<\/p>\n Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, from Connecticut, said his appointment \u201cdeserves extremely close scrutiny.\u201d<\/p>\n Massachusetts Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren said Hegseth is \u201cnot qualified\u201d for the position.<\/p>\n Hegseth was formerly head of the Concerned Veterans for America, a group backed by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch, which advocates for veterans’ issues.<\/p>\n