Trump’s defense sec pick Hegseth threatens ‘educational insurgency’ against American schools

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick to be secretary of defense, has called for an “educational insurgency” to take over American schools in an appearance on a right-wing podcast. During a CrossPolitic discussion about religiously affiliated schools, Hegseth explained his idea for a system of “classical Christian schools” to provide “recruits” for an underground army that could eventually launch an “educational insurgency”. Host Toby Sumpter said: “I think we need to be thinking in terms of these classical Christian schools are boot camps for winning back America.” open image in gallery Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, at the US Capitol “That’s what the crop of these classical Christian schools are gonna do in a generation,” Hegseth agreed. “Policy answers like school choice, while they’re great, that’s phase two stuff later on once the foothold has been taken, once the recruits have graduated boot camp.” “We call it a tactical retreat,” Hegseth continued.