Comment by AnimalMuppet

DEI at its worst is exactly what you say. (At its best, it's "we hire for abilities, but we also look for abilities in non-traditional people".

But, even though that's what DEI can be, not all "someone got a git not because of ability" is DEI. Cronyism, racism, and sexism all do that, too.

In the case of this administration, I think the traditional term is "yes men" - people who are hired not for ability, but because they will not say no to the boss.