US President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the role of secretary of defense, replacing his initial pick, Pete Hegseth, according to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Hegseth's nomination had sparked surprise within the US defense sector. A defense industry lobbyist told Politico that many had anticipated a nominee with significant experience in defense to helm the Pentagon.

While DeSantis is a leading contender, sources noted that he is not the only candidate under consideration, emphasizing that the next 48 hours will be pivotal in the decision-making process.

Hegseth linked to war-crimes marred infantry

A report by the Washington Post recalled what was described as a "security incident" in Iraq, back in 2006, which involved US combat soldiers in Samarra. The soldiers participated in what was later revealed to be the intentional murder of two detainees on May 9, 2006. 

The report explains that the combat soldiers were found guilty of releasing the detainees and then shooting them dead as they ran. But who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, and how was he involved? 

Hegseth joined the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team in the summer of 2005, just before its deployment. 

This account of Pete Hegseth's Iraq deployment draws on interviews with eight sources, military records, and media reports. It paints a picture of a future Secretary of Defense who observed an investigation into military misconduct that upended the lives of his colleagues, according to The Washington Post. 

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Hegseth closely followed the cases of Army officers Clint Lorance and Mathew Golsteyn, both charged with murders in Afghanistan, and Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder but punished for posing with an ISIS fighter’s corpse.

In November 2019, after President Trump pardoned Lorance and Golsteyn and reinstated Gallagher's rank despite Pentagon opposition, Hegseth vigorously defended the decisions on Fox News. He argued that Trump supported those making difficult, split-second decisions in combat, dismissing evidence of military law violations. "These are not cases where people went into villages to kill innocent people," he claimed.

'A dark past'

The Washington Post recalls that Hegseth was deployed in 2004 to Guantanamo Bay, where he served at the US detention facility holding 9/11 suspects and detainees from the alleged "war on terror." After a brief return to Wall Street, he volunteered for an assignment to Iraq in 2005, becoming a platoon leader for about 40 soldiers in Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment.

Hegseth led missions first in Baghdad and later around Samarra, according to retired Sgt. Maj. Eric Geressy, who served as the senior enlisted soldier in Charlie Company.

Charlie Company, with around 140 men, was known as the brigade’s most aggressive unit, confronting threats with a boldness that would later attract scrutiny from senior leaders, according to those familiar with the deployment.

'Kill Company' squad

Nicknamed “Kill Company", they kept a whiteboard listing confirmed kills, including civilians. Hegseth, in a 2009 New Yorker interview, explained that the company’s aggressiveness stemmed from training at Fort Campbell. He voiced concerns to his commander about going into a building with weapons drawn, allegedly fearing civilian casualties but was told it was an Al-Qaeda target.

According to the report, he was later reassigned to oversee governance projects in Samarra, a region ravaged by violence, but trouble was brewing for his old unit.

As the investigation into the deaths unfolded, the military's case against the soldiers began to unravel. Two soldiers, Hunsaker and Clagett, were charged with murder, while Girouard faced accusations of complicity and obstruction of justice. Graber, who had initially claimed he shot the detainee to "end his suffering", later admitted that he had acted out of "frustration and anger."

Moreover, critics of Hegseth’s potential nomination highlight his lack of experience leading large organizations and his controversial views, including advocating for the dismissal of generals supporting diversity, opposing women in combat, and claiming Islam is "not a religion of peace."

According to the report, his tattoos were flagged by National Guard colleagues after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot as symbols linked to the far right, yet he denied any association, as per the report.

Read more: "I was screaming and he was smiling": DeSantis ran Guantanamo torture