Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly attempting to block four Army officers, two women and two Black men, from a military promotion list to become one-star generals – though his motivations are unclear.
For months, Hegseth has been asking Army leaders, including Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, to remove the officers’ names, the New York Times reported Friday. After Driscoll allegedly refused to remove the names, citing the officers’ excellent records, Hegseth allegedly took matters into his own hands.
The defense secretary reportedly removed the four officers’ names from the list himself – although it’s unclear whether he has the authority to do so – before the list was sent to the White House for review.
A senior military official told the New York Times that the promotion list includes three dozen officers, most of whom are white men, though some Black and female officers remain on it.
Since becoming head of the Pentagon, Hegseth has sought to eliminate “woke” policies, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, and promised to make all promotions “based on merit.”
Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell denied the New York Times story and said promotions are given on merit.
“This story, like many others from the Failing New York Times, is full of fake news from anonymous sources who have no idea what they’re talking about and are far removed from actual decision-makers within the Pentagon,” Parnell said. “Under Secretary Hegseth, military promotions are given to those who have earned them. Meritocracy, which reigns in this Department, is apolitical and unbiased.“
“The President is proud to serve as Commander in Chief of the most powerful military in the world, and he is incredibly proud of the Americans from all walks of life who selflessly choose to serve our country in uniform,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
“Secretary Hegseth is doing a tremendous job restoring meritocracy throughout the ranks at the Pentagon, as President Trump directed him to do, and it’s not a coincidence U.S. military recruitment is skyrocketing to historic levels under their leadership,” Leavitt added.
It’s unclear what Hegseth’s motivations are for removing the individuals' names, but while speaking with military leaders in September, the defense secretary said there would no longer be promotions based on “immutable characteristics or quotas” and that those with records of taking risks would be considered leaders.
The defense secretary has encouraged military commanders and officers to take risks and be aggressive, downplaying the severity of making “honest mistakes” on a person’s record. Hegseth said some mistakes are forgivable.
"Commanders and [noncommissioned officers] don't take necessary risks or make tough adjustments for fear of rocking the boat or making mistakes. [A] blemish-free record is what peacetime leaders covet the most, [which] is the worst of all incentives," Hegseth said.
In interviews with at least 11 unnamed current or former military officials, the New York Times found that some military personnel have pushed back on Hegseth’s approach to promotions.
According to the report, last summer, Hegseth’s chief of staff, Ricky Buria, argued with Driscoll about the promotion of Major General Antoinette Gant to become commander of the Military District of Washington.
Buria allegedly argued President Donald Trump would not want to stand next to a Black woman officer at military events, which Driscoll pushed back on. Gant was eventually promoted.
Buria denied the allegation, saying, "This is completely false. Whoever placed this made up story is clearly trying to sow division among our ranks in the Department and the administration. It’s not going to work, and it will never work when this Department is led by clear-eyed, mission driven leaders unfazed by Washington gossip."
Hegseth has made other changes to military membership, including removing transgender service members.
Last year, Heseth reassigned Vice Admiral Yvette Davids, the first woman to lead the U.S. Naval Academy, dismissed Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield as the U.S. military representative to the NATO Military Committee and dismissed Navy Admiral Linda Fagan as chief of naval operations.
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