secretary of defense

Cultural  

1. The civilian head of the United States Department of Defense and a member of the cabinet, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The secretary of defense works with civilian and military advisers to formulate American military policies and make foreign policy recommendations to the president.

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secretary of defense

Tillis, who told me that the president’s beloved Florsheims might be a little too “flashy” for the Senate, supplied the decisive vote to confirm Hegseth, a former Fox host, as secretary of defense.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

And an executive order signed by President Barack Obama in 2012 delegated this authority to the secretary of defense.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

Her former colleague Pete Hegseth, now secretary of defense, sold more than 300,000 copies of his last two books, both of which were military grievance memoirs.

From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2026

Cerberus’s former co-chief executive, Stephen Feinberg, left the firm last year to become the Trump administration’s deputy secretary of defense.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026

He has played squash with two vice presidents and a secretary of defense.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson