Latest U.S. Department of Defense News

Trump convinced Republicans to overlook his misconduct. But can he do the same for his nominees?

Nov. 21, 2024 18:57 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the two weeks since Donald Trump won the presidency, he's tried to demonstrate his dominance by naming loyalists for top administration positions, even though many lack expertise and some face sexual misconduct accusations. It often seems like he's daring Congress to oppose...

McConnell to head subcommittee overseeing defense spending as he prepares to step down as GOP leader

Nov. 21, 2024 18:32 PM EST

Sen. Mitch McConnell said Thursday he will lead a subcommittee overseeing defense spending as he carves out new roles once he relinquishes his long-running post as Senate Republican leader. The Kentucky Republican revealed he will assume the chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations...

Republicans rally around Hegseth, Trump's Pentagon pick, as Gaetz withdraws for attorney general

Nov. 21, 2024 16:16 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s allies on Capitol Hill rallied around Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Pentagon pick, on Thursday even as new details surfaced about allegations that he had sexually assaulted a woman in 2017. The GOP embrace of Hegseth came as another...

US will send Ukraine at least $275 million in new weapons in push to bolster Kyiv before Trump

Nov. 20, 2024 17:39 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will send Ukraine at least $275 million in new weapons, including an undisclosed number of antipersonnel land mines, as the Biden administration rushes to do as much as it can to help Kyiv fight back against Russia before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. ...

Should women be allowed to fight on the front lines? Trump’s defense pick reignites the debate

Nov. 18, 2024 13:45 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has reignited a debate that many thought had been long settled: Should women be allowed to serve their country by fighting on the front lines? The former Fox News commentator has made it...

Trump's Pentagon pick paid woman after sex assault allegation but denies wrongdoing, his lawyer says

Nov. 17, 2024 17:01 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit, according to Hegseth’s lawyer. Hegseth was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking...

Trump Pentagon pick had been flagged by fellow service member as possible 'Insider Threat'

Nov. 15, 2024 19:44 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member due to a tattoo on his bicep that's associated with white supremacist groups. ...

Trump's pick to lead Defense Department was accused of sexual assault in 2017

Nov. 15, 2024 11:45 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, a popular Fox News host who is Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Defense, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women's event in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by the city. No...

The last actions the Biden administration will take before Trump takes over the White House

Nov. 15, 2024 05:24 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Biden administration officials are working against the clock doling out billions in grants and taking other steps to try to preserve at least some of the outgoing president's legacy before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. “Let’s make every...

Navy didn't understand well-documented risks posed by Hawaii fuel tanks, watchdog says

Nov. 14, 2024 22:49 PM EST

HONOLULU (AP) — Navy officials “lacked sufficient understanding” of the risks of maintaining massive fuel storage tanks on top of a drinking water well at Pearl Harbor where spilled jet fuel poisoned more than 6,000 people in 2021, a U.S. military watchdog said Thursday. That...