Stephen A. Smith throws Hannity's DEI rant back in his face with Hegseth dig

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy ESPN host Stephen A. Smith threw Sean Hannity’s complaints about diversity, equity and inclusion back into his face on Tuesday night by wondering how exactly Hannity’s former Fox News colleague Pete Hegseth was “qualified” to run the massive Department of Defense. During Tuesday night’s broadcast of his primetime Fox News show, Hannity – who has repeatedly linked the deadly crash to “insane DEI directives” and “woke politics” — continued to argue that diversity hiring initiatives played a role in the midair collision. “Their diversity push includes a focus on hiring people with ‘severe intellectual’ and ‘psychiatric’ disabilities,’” he stated, pointing to the FAA’s policy change that was in effect throughout Trump’s entire first term. Do you want people with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities in that control tower?” Stephen A. Smith describes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as "not qualified" during a conversation with Fox News host Sean Hannity.