Pete Hegseth arrived at the Pentagon for his first day serving as President Donald Trump’s Secretary of the Department of Defense.

Speaking with reporters outside the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia on Monday, the newly sworn-in secretary revealed there will be a ‘shift’ at the DoD from the previous four years.

He also detailed how taking control of operations at the southern border will be a priority for the Trump administration.

Hegseth said of his leadership and priorities as Defense Secretary: ‘This is a shift. This is not the way business has been done in the past.’

‘The Defense Department will support the defense of the territorial integrity of the United States of America at the southern border,’ he assured.

The 44-year-old former Fox News host faced an uphill battle to get to the new post.

He barely squeaked by after Republicans Senators Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted against his confirmation – leaving the full vote at a 50-50 tie.

Vice President J.D. Vance, who had just vacated his seat in the Senate to take up an office in the Executive Office Building, returned to Capitol Hill last week to cast the tie-breaking vote that ultimately sent the nomination through.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at the Pentagon on Monday for his first day on the job

Democrats launched a smear campaign against Hegseth, claiming not only that he was too young and unqualified for the position, but that he also did not morally deserve the job. 

Multiple media reports came out with sexual assault allegations against Hegseth, as well as claims he drank too much while helping run veterans organizations following his military service.

Immediately upon taking his oath-of-office, Hegseth is faced with some steep tasks as the new Pentagon chief.

Trump signed several executive orders last week, including giving the DoD full operational control at the southern border in order to enhance national security, ramp up deportations and shut down the flow of illegal immigration.

‘Whatever is needed at the border will be provided, whether that is through state active duty, title 32 or title 10. Because we are reorienting,’ Hegseth told reporters on Monday.

He said that reservists, National Guard and active duty troops would all be tapped to the effort.

Hegseth told reporters that there is now a ‘shift’ in how the Defense Department will operate. ‘This is not the way business has been done in the past,’ he added

Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon was controversial among lawmakers and the liberal public

The 44-year-old former Fox host squeaked through his nomination with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President J.D. Vance (pictured) at the Capitol last week after three Republican senators voted against his confirmation

Approximately 1,500 troops already deployed to the southern border last week – and Trump plans to have 10,000 service members in place to help immigration officials enforce U.S. sovereignty and national security.

Four military aircraft were also positioned in El Paso, Texas and San Diego, California to conduct deportation missions.

While some have been successful, Colombia prevented two flights full of their deported citizens from landing back on their soil – sparking a heated and public back-and-forth between Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

Trump’s team is working on a deal with El Salvador to accept deported migrants from third-party nations.

Trump’s deportation flights began as dozens of illegal immigrants loaded in military aircraft last week and were flown back to their countries of origin

There were already roughly 2,500 active duty troops at the southern border assisting with immigration operations – 1,500 more joined them last week and thousands more will come amid Donald Trump’s crackdown on the migrant crisis 

Beyond that, Hegseth has a few other big jobs ahead of him. 

A White House source confirmed to DailyMail.com that Trump is preparing to sign at least three executive orders this week related to directives at the Defense Department.

One is telling Hegseth to direct the branches to reinstate all 8,000 troops who were discharged when they refused to comply with Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Another puts an end to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the military and the final one prohibits transgender people from serving in the armed forces.

The latest orders are directives for the Pentagon to take action, meaning Hegseth will need to instruct the branches to enact and enforce these new policies.