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.

A Washington Post review of Pete Hegseth’s writing shows he rejected steps to integrate women and transgender troops across the military, and called for a “crusade” to protect “Judeo-Christian” values.