The Washington Examiner’s Kaylee McGhee White pushed back against criticism of President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense, arguing his assessment of the military is valid.

Part of the opposition to Hegseth, a veteran and Fox News anchor, relates to his criticism of the U.S. military’s embracement of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, a topic many have taken issue with in recent years. Jim Kessler, a former policy director for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), argued that his opposition to having Hegseth as defense secretary is unrelated to the nominee’s criticism of DEI but rather that Hegseth is “wholly unqualified” for the role due to his lack of experience.