U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as the next secretary of defense.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Trump called the nominee “tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” adding that with Hegseth at the helm, the U.S. military will be great again and America will never back down.

While the nomination of a reserve major is unusual, the 44-year-old Minnesota native has been a dedicated Trump supporter since the 2016 presidential race in which the president-elect won his first term.

The New York Times said Hegseth defended Trump’s interactions with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his previous term in office.

Hegseth is also said to have embraced Trump’s agenda of trying to withdraw U.S. troops from overseas.