President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary Pete Hegseth has railed against women in combat, voiced support for troops accused and in some instances, convicted of war crimes, and advocated for the firing of the military’s most senior officers accused of supporting so-called “woke” policies.

Trump's pick of Hegseth to become defense secretary caught Washington by surprise. Hegseth, who appears frequently on conservative media, has expressed disdain for so-called "woke" policies of Pentagon leaders, opposed women in combat roles, and questioned whether the top American general, who is Black, was in his role because of his skin color.