US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally blocked at least seven Navy officers from becoming one-star admirals, removing two women and two Black men in what four current and former defense officials called a violation of the military's merit-based system.
The New York Times reported on 1 June that Hegseth's intervention left a slate of 22 nominees with no women and only two nonwhite officers. Women make up 21% of the active-duty Navy, and minorities represent 38% of its ranks.
