Trump's hawkish cabinet pours cold water on talk of ending wars

"With Pete at the helm, America's enemies are on notice—our military will be great again, and America will never back down," Trump wrote in a post. Another factor in Hegseth's appointment is that Trump was deeply impressed with his book, The War on Warrior, which "reveals the leftwing betrayal of our warriors, and how we must return our military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence".

Billed as the "anti-woke" candidate who wants to make the US military a more lethal force, Hegseth is widely regarded as a hawk on issues such as the Ukraine conflict and the Middle East. During his stint with Fox News, he has consistently criticised the Biden administration for its equivocal support for Ukraine, while he has previously advocated for the US to launch direct military strikes against Iran.

Tougher line on China

Nor is Hegseth the only appointee to Trump's national security team with a reputation for adopting hawkish policies. John Ratcliffe—set to become Trump's CIA director—has been outspoken in his conviction that China was to blame for the Covid pandemic, claiming that the virus originated from a Chinese research laboratory, an accusation that Beijing has constantly denied.

With Ratcliffe taking charge at Langley, the new administration can be expected to take a far tougher line with China, especially on issues such as China's alleged infiltration of American university campuses.

The appointment of JD Vance as Trump's running mate for vice president also reflects the president-elect's determination to undertake a radical change in the direction of Washington's national security outlook under his leadership.

The Ohio senator first came to prominence in the US through his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, which depicts social and socioeconomic issues in his native Appalachia region. Vance, like Hegseth, has a military background having served in the US Marine Corps for four years from 2003. His time in the military included working in public affairs in Iraq following the US invasion that year. A vocal critic of US foreign aid and US military operations in the Middle East, Vance has also publicly questioned the continuation of American military assistance to Ukraine.

"I certainly admire the Ukrainians who are fighting against Russia, but I do not think that it is in America's interest to continue to fund an effectively never-ending war in Ukraine," he said in a recent speech.

Vance is also known for his criticism of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, which he claims has led to an increase in Iran's influence in the Middle East. After the US Senate approved a $61bn aid package for Ukraine in April, Vance highlighted his experience in Iraq to rebuke his colleagues.

"I served my country honourably, and I saw when I went to Iraq that I had been lied to," said Vance on the Senate floor, adding that "the promises of the foreign policy establishment of this country were a complete joke."

Another indication that Trump is determined to undertake a radical restructuring of Washington's national security infrastructure is his appointment of former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as his director of national intelligence. This move could bring about the biggest shake-up of America's spying operations in decades.

Since joining the Republican Party earlier this year, Ms Gabbard has accused the government of being complicit in a "military-industrial complex" and has railed against the "foreign policy establishment in Washington".

And finally, Trump's appointment of Florida Senator Marco Rubio as his Secretary of State is the cherry on top of his hawk-filled cabinet.