Greg Kelly Calls Pete Hegseth ‘The Wrong Man for the Pentagon’ Amid Controversy

Pro-MAGA Newsmax host Greg Kelly has doubled down on his call for Pete Hegseth to withdraw from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense. In an interview on his network Thursday, Kelly reaffirmed his stance, despite receiving criticism from Trump supporters after making similar remarks earlier in the week.

“I think he is the wrong man for the Pentagon,” Kelly said firmly. “I think he should not be the defense secretary.” Kelly, a former Fox News anchor, emphasized his respect for Trump but acknowledged that even the president-elect could make mistakes.

“I love President Trump, but he’s not infallible,” he explained. “And from time to time, you know, personnel mistakes will be made.” Kelly reflected on his first meeting with Hegseth at Fox News in the late 2000s, when Hegseth, an Iraq War veteran, defended the war despite the lack of evidence for weapons of mass destruction.

“He would come as an Iraq War veteran and say what a great thing the Iraq War was and how we were there for all the right reasons and yes, no weapons of mass destruction, but this war is going great,” Kelly recalled. “And I believe that he was doing it for political reasons, self-serving reasons.”

However, Kelly’s opinion of Hegseth shifted after learning about a settlement Hegseth paid to a woman who had accused him of sexual assault. “I was once accused of sexual assault, falsely,” Kelly said. “I would never in a billion years pay that person a dime… That sounds like somebody who’s blackmailable.”

When host Katrina Szish asked, “It’s one thing if you didn’t do anything, well then why would you agree to pay?” Kelly responded, “I keep hearing, well, he’s a changed man, but if he was innocent, what does he have to change from? So there’s a discrepancy here.” He further suggested that Hegseth’s actions may reflect a desire for power and prestige. “I think he’s addicted to power and prestige,” Kelly added.