Eric Edelman, who was the Pentagon’s top policy official during the Bush administration, said: “(Trump) puts the highest value for loyalty.

“It seems like one of the main criteria that’s being used is how well do people defend Donald Trump on TV?”

One defense industry lobbyist was more direct in his criticism of Hegseth, saying, “Who the hell is this guy?”

The unnamed lobbyist said he initially hoped Trump would nominate “someone who actually has extensive experience in defense,” adding that “that would be a good start,” according to Political.