Robert Salesses will serve as the acting defense secretart until President Donald Trump's nominee, Pete Hegseth, gets confirmed by the Senate.

A Princeton and Harvard-educated former combat veteran, Hegseth went on to make a career at Fox News, where he hosted a weekend show. Trump tapped him as the defense secretary to lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.

The Pentagon on Monday swore in Robert G. Salesses as the acting secretary of Defense while President Trump’s nominee Pete Hegseth awaits Senate confirmation. Salesses was sworn in just after noon, according to a Defense official.

Pete Hegseth is closer to Senate confirmation as Trump's Defense secretary despite controversy and allegations of serious impropriety.

As Hegseth’s hearing proceeded before the Senate Armed Services Committee, there was an air of unreality to the nominee’s performance. Moreover, the committee’s Republican majority seemed to have little appreciation for the gravity of decisions required of the defense secretary.

President Donald Trump has named an acting defense secretary because his choice to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

Senators voted 51-49 to advance Hegseth's defense secretary bid, which has been mired in a series of controversies.

Amid Republican claims of “anonymous smears,” a named person — and a Hegseth, at that — accuses the defense secretary nominee of abusive behavior.

President Donald Trump has named an acting defence secretary because his choice to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

Read about President Trump's appointment of Robert Salesses, a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, as acting secretary of defense.

Dan Caldwell, a former colleague of Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, has publicly criticized the close U.S.-Israel alliance