Trump Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth believes NATO should be 'scrapped' and remade

Former Fox News property turned President-elect Donald Trump's prime to pb the Pentagon Pete Hegseth is facing aggravated scrutiny for his past words and actions including penning that NATO should beryllium scrapped.

Hegseth is gearing up for what could beryllium a brutal Senate confirmation combat aft helium was named Trump's nominee for defence caput wherever helium could look pugnacious questions connected his satellite views.

In his 2020 publication American Crusade, Hegseth leveled a bid of criticisms against the NATO alliance, calling for it to beryllium remade. 

'NATO is simply a relic and should beryllium scrapped and remade successful bid for state to beryllium genuinely defended,' Hegseth wrote. 

He besides argued the 'defense of Europe is not our problem; been there, done that, twice.' 

NATO was established successful the aftermath of World War II and presently has thirty-two subordinate countries including the U.S. and Canada. 

Hegseth besides lobbed akin accusations to those Trump has made astir NATO for years.    

'NATO is not an alliance; it’s a defence statement for Europe, paid for and underwritten by the United States,' helium wrote.

The president-elect has agelong accused subordinate nations of taking vantage of the U.S., falsely accused members of not paying their bills, and repeatedly threatened to propulsion the state retired of the alliance. 

Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte connected Friday successful Florida wherever they discussed a scope of information issues, according to a NATO spokesperson. 

The president-elect's defence caput nominee not lone claimed NATO is simply a relic but besides claimed Europe had 'already allowed itself to beryllium invaded.'  

'It chose not to rebuild its militaries, happily suckling disconnected the teat of America’s willingness to really combat and triumph wars,' helium claimed.

Separately, the defence caput nominee took contented successful his publication not conscionable with the confederation but with its members, specifically Turkey. 

'Why is Islamist Turkey a subordinate of NATO?' helium wrote. 

Hegseth argued Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is an 'Islamist with Islamist visions for the Middle East.' 

NATO was not the lone post-WWII agreements Hegseth has taken purpose at. He has besides dismissed the Geneva Conventions and its protocols. 

The Geneva Conventions are treaties that see rules aimed astatine limiting the brutality of war. 

 In his 2024 book The War connected Warriors, Hegseth questioned what the U.S. should bash if enemies bash not grant the Geneva Conventions. 

 'What if we treated the force the mode they treated us?' Hegseth wrote.

'Would that not beryllium an inducement for the different broadside to reconsider their barbarism? Hey, Al Qaeda: if you surrender, we mightiness spare your life. If you bash not, we volition rip your arms disconnected and provender them to hogs,' helium went on. 

Hegseth argued the U.S. is 'just warring with 1 manus down our backmost – and the force knows it.'

He argued 'who cares what different countries think?'

Hegseth's statement for ignoring the Geneva Conventions comes arsenic helium has besides agelong defended work members accused of warfare crimes during his clip connected television, arguing they were conscionable doing their job.

While Hegseth has been tapped to pb the Pentagon with its 3 cardinal work members and civilians, critics constituent retired that helium has nary elder subject enactment oregon nationalist information experience. 

He served successful the Minnesota National Guard and past the Army National Guard wherever helium was an infantryman successful Iraq and counterinsurgency teacher successful Afghanistan. He was besides portion of a information platoon astatine Guantanamo Bay.

 On Sunday, Senator Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran, called him a 'a beauteous debased ranking guy' successful the subject who ne'er adjacent had a presumption commanding a company. 

While Hegseth's writings and comments astir the subject and argumentation are nether the microscope, helium is besides facing disapproval for arguing women should not service successful combat. 

Earlier this period helium repeated 'we should not person women successful combat roles.' He claimed it has not made the U.S. subject 'more lethal.'

Meanwhile the 44-year-old nominee is besides hampered by an allegation of intersexual assault.

Hegseth was accused by a pistillate of an battle astatine a California edifice successful 2017. He denied the allegations. 

Hegseth was not charged arsenic prosecutors said determination was not impervious beyond a tenable doubt, but Hegseth did wage the pistillate disconnected to support her quiet.