United States President-Elect Donald Trump has made some bold nominations for his incoming cabinet. Trump who is due to be sworn in on the 20th of January (today at the time of writing) has named right wing ally and former political Fox TV Personality Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defence and former rival turned close ally Republican Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. Both are major members of the right wing of US politics. Hegseth faces hurdles in having his nomination for Secretary of Defence go through at his hearing. He has faced allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and derogatory views on women in military roles and minorities. This is Trump’s choice to manage the world’s most powerful and extensive military. At first glance.
Rubio as a long time Senator has more experience in diplomacy and his nomination as Secretary of State is likely to survive the vote by the Senate. However, he harbours some assertive and aggressive views on changes and shifts in US foreign policy. Particularly against China.
In response to a question about why Trump nominated him, Hegseth said, “The main duty he assigned to me is to restore a warrior culture to the Department of Defense.” He emphasized that both he and Trump wanted a defense department focused on “lethality, merit, combat readiness, and accountability.” When questioned by a Democrat about his past statements regarding the absence of women in military roles, Hegseth replied, “I’m proud to serve shoulder to shoulder with you — men and women, Black and White, and anyone with a shared goal.” During the session, which was interrupted three times by attendees, Republican Senator Roger Wicker, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, remarked, “Hegseth admitted that, like all of us, he has made mistakes.” He added, “I have no doubt he will excel in areas where many of his predecessors fell short.”
On the other hand, Democrat Jack Reed, the senior member of the committee, stated, “Unfortunately, you lack the character, composure, and qualifications for this position.” He also criticized the FBI’s investigation into Hegseth’s background, calling it “insufficient.” This comes as Pete Hegseth has a military background in Afghanistan and Iraq and is known as an opponent of the Taliban.
Hegseth clearly has the mindset of some one who values military prowess and masculinity above all else. If he manages to obtain the nomination of Secretary of Defence, he will be tasked with managing the world’s most sophisticated and extensive military. Of course, Trump as president will have the final say on all military matters. Hegseth will be tasked with having day-to-day meetings with the joint chiefs of Staff of the US army, Air Force and Navy as well as the various generals and Navy Admirals under them. Hegseth will be responsible for allocating resources, weapons and finance to the various American military bases the Pentagon has distributed across the world. He will have to rely on manoeuvring Congress to make the purchases depending on which political party holds the majority in both chambers. Hegseth is like to win the approval in the Senate vote given the majority of seats are now held by the Republicans.
The Democrats may be bitter, but will lose the vote. Hegseth is a complete outsider with no actual experience in how the military is run. He never served on the Senate’s defence committee or in the military’s chain of command. Hegseth is basically a soldier. A man who will follow orders. Trump’s orders. This is the main reason why he was chosen. His service in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars (both disastrous) would have given him experience in the basics of military discipline. Hegseth is basically Trump’s guard dog.
Now we come to Mark Rubio, an experienced Republican Senator chosen by Trump to be his secretary of State. Both Hegseth and Rubio are Hawks in the politics of the US.
US Senator Marco Rubio painted a dark vision of the consequences of America’s “unbalanced relationship” with China, echoing President-elect Donald Trump’s anti-globalist rhetoric as he vies to be confirmed as his secretary of state. While touching on issues plaguing the Middle East, Latin America and eastern Europe, Rubio focused much of his five-hour Senate confirmation hearing warning that without swift and substantive policy shifts, China will remain the “biggest threat” to American prosperity in the 21st Century. “If we don’t change course, we are going to live in the world where much of what matters to us on a daily basis from our security to our health will be dependent on whether the Chinese allow us to have it or not,” Rubio testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday.
Rubio clearly does not like Beijing. And by extension he may not approve of the influence BRICS Plus (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa along with other new additions). Rubio’s influence on the world stage is yet to be tested. As a subordinate of Trump and the new face of America’s foreign policy he will be putting forward American interests before international relations. This comes at a time when the United States needs to make friends. At least with those who like Rubio resent China’s growing influence it would be unfortunate if Trump chose to break ties with India due to their membership of BRICS. There is the old saying keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. If Rubio and Trump are smart, they would find a way to drive a diplomatic wedge between India and China. However, India is more cautious than China about the role it will have in global affairs.
Rubio for his part will still be under Trump’s thumb and will be given the Secretary of State position by the Republican controlled Senate. Trump for his part is unpredictable and opportunistic. He may not share Rubio’s hostilities with China unless it makes him popular in the US domestically. Trump is more interested in making deals. Getting the best bargain. Rubio and Hegseth may steer the president towards their agendas if they deliver the results he wants. The world including South Africa and Iran which occupy geopolitically the heart of the globe have to be weary of the new powers in Washington. Pretoria will have to make some agreement with the incoming administration to survive. Tehran and possibly the Taliban in Kabul are in for a rough ride.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
