What the Hegseth?!

Donald Trump is intertwining MAGA Media with government, elevating figures who have spent years polluting the country's public discourse with disinformation.

Author

Oliver Darcy
November 12, 2024

Pete Hegseth. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Even the hosts at Fox News were astonished Tuesday night by Donald Trump's shock move to nominate Pete Hegseth as the next defense secretary.

"What the heck! Can you believe it?" Jesse Watters asked Kayleigh McEnany at the outset of his show.

"Look, I was stunned when I saw it," replied McEnany, Trump's former White House press secretary.

Both Watters and McEnany, of course, said they supported Trump's alarming move to nominate the army veteran, "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host, and right-wing conspiracy theorist to the highly consequential cabinet position. The decision, which I'm told Fox News brass got wind of about 24 hours before it was officially announced, is sure to send shockwaves through the Pentagon, where many career officials are not likely to be enthusiastic about taking direction from a dishonest political pundit.

He's "an unserious choice," a former senior Defense Department official told me Tuesday, predicting that longtime officials at the Pentagon will…

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The Fourth Estate

Chris Licht speaks at Yahoo's Invest conference. (Screen grab)

Licht's Lament: Former CNN chief Chris Licht appeared for a wide-ranging interview Tuesday at Yahoo's Invest conference, telling attendees he is "bullish" on the future of media, but acknowledging there are a number of problems leaders will need to confront head on. Asked specifically about the decline of cable, Licht replied, "I think it's like the death of radio. It will absolutely decline. The sub fees will decline ... but I think there is a floor."

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