WASHINGTON 

US President-elect Donald Trump announced late Tuesday that he will nominate Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense.

"Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy," Trump said in a statement.

"Pete is tough, smart and a true 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," he added.

Hegseth, 44, who has no government experience, served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and holds degrees from Princeton and Harvard universities. Since joining Fox News as a contributor in 2014, he has become a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend.

If confirmed by the Senate, he would assume the role amid multiple global crises and conflicts, from the Russian war on Ukraine to Israel's war on Gaza and Lebanon.