Pete Hegseth removes all women and some Black service members from navy promotion list | Pete Hegseth
U.S. defense secretary Pete Hegseth last month removed nine Navy officers, including women and black service members, from the promotion list, according to a person familiar with the matter; As a result, 22 individuals, all male and overwhelmingly white, advanced as candidates to become one-star admirals.
The New York Times wrote that Hegseth’s unusual intervention violated promotion rules designed to be merit-based and apolitical he said on tuesdayand expanded the Trump administration’s effort to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the military.
The original promotion list included three women and two black officers in addition to the remaining two, the newspaper said.
A Navy source said officials in the service had “a lot of confidence” in those on the promotion list, including the officers Hegseth dismissed. He said Hegseth did not explain to the Navy why he removed the officers from the list.
Hegseth “has his favorite MOSs,” a government source familiar with the matter said [military occupational specialities]then gender and race. He went through the list and deleted a few names. It was felt loud and clear.”
The Pentagon countered that Hegseth blocked promotions based on race or gender. “As we have said before, military promotions are given to those who deserve them. The Department will never consider a soldier’s skin color or gender as a factor in promotions,” said Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman. “Under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, meritocracy prevails in the War Department.”
The move directly parallels Hegseth’s reported intervention in a similar Army promotion listing in March, when he reportedly directed Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to remove two women and two Black officers from the slate and direct them to become one-star generals.
Hegseth has previously railed against diversity and called the so-called “wokeness” in the armed forces.
“For too long, we have promoted too many uniformed leaders for the wrong reasons—based on their race, based on gender quotas, based on so-called historic firsts,” he said at an inaugural meeting of military commanders in Virginia in September. “The sooner we have the right people, the sooner we can advance the right policies.”
Hegseth’s inclusion on the promotion list is unusual, according to a former military official. “The defense minister needs to have an up or down vote. He continues to intervene individually,” he said. “It takes away the autonomy of service secretaries.”
One name still on the final navy list Released on May 22 Donald Trump’s White House physician, Capt. Sean Barbabella, declared last week that the nearly 80-year-old president was in “excellent health” despite photos showing him at times showing swollen ankles, bruised hands and a splotchy neck.
Hegseth stepped in to overrule the board of Navy admirals that compiled the list and also dismissed four white officers, the Times said. The outlet noted that the published list, which must be approved by the US Senate, has little to do with the power the candidates will command.
A quote is made in the report 2024 government profile More than 21 percent of the Navy’s active-duty composition was found to be women, and nearly 40 percent identified with racial minority groups.
The Guardian reported in March that Hegseth, who describes himself as the “war minister,” moved shortly after he was confirmed as defense minister last year to block promotions or redeployment of senior officers, 60% of whom are women or Black.
He reappointed V Adm. Yvette Davids, the first woman to lead a U.S. naval academy, and removed another Navy vice admiral, Shoshana Chatfield, as the U.S. military representative on the NATO military committee.
Hegseth also removed Adm. Lisa Franchetti as chief of naval operations.
Coast Guard Commander Linda Fagan, who served for 37 years and is the longest-serving active duty maritime security officer. dismissed On January 20, 2025, the first day of Trump’s second term in office, four days before Hegseth’s narrow confirmation in the Senate.
Overall, the Times said Hegseth fired or sidelined nearly three dozen senior military officers.
The actions expand the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the US military; These efforts include barring women from combat roles and barring transgender troops from serving.
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., dealt a blow to the anti-diversity crackdown on Monday, ruling that the government acted unlawfully by moving to remove transgender service members. This case is expected to reach the high court.
