Don Lemon Tells Dan Abrams That Pete Hegseth is a ‘DEI Hire’: ‘Not Qualified For That Position’

Don Lemon finds it ironic that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is dismantling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs within the military, considering Hegseth himself is a “DEI hire,” the ex-CNN star said.

Lemon, during an appearance on Dan Abrams’ SiriusXM show on Tuesday, made it clear he was not a fan of the new military agenda Hegseth outlined earlier in the morning, while giving a speech to top commanders at Quantico.

Hegseth said the military was done with “woke garbage,” and moving forward, combat troops would return to meeting the “highest male standard only.” He also said he was implementing a new physical fitness plan for troops and generals, saying it was “tiring” to see “fat” generals walking around.

Abrams, who is also the founder of Mediaite, played Lemon part of Hegseth’s speech where he said the military would no longer observe “identity months” or adhere to “politically toxic garbage.”

“Well, I think that kind of proves my point. If we were done with that, I don’t think he would be Secretary of Defense,” Lemon said after hearing the clip. “In his definition and the Trump Administration’s definition of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Pete Hegseth is a DEI hire. Pete Hegseth is not qualified for that position, and he shouldn’t be in that position. Therefore its very tough for me — and many people in America — to take him seriously about anything.”

President Donald Trump, immediately after retaking office in January, issued several executive orders that aimed to wipe out DEI within the U.S. government. Here is what one of those EOs, titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” said:

In case after tragic case, the American people have witnessed first-hand the disastrous consequences of illegal, pernicious discrimination that has prioritized how people were born instead of what they were capable of doing.

Lemon, based on what he told Abrams, does not believe Hegseth earned his position based on merit.

Hegseth served as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard, starting in 2003, and served in multiple roles until he left the military in 2021. He is a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and received two Bronze Stars for his service.

You can watch Lemon’s response above, and you can listen to The Dan Abrams Show on SiriusXM channel 124 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET during the week.