“When I think about my military career, almost every time it was, it was because the military was run by people in positions they weren’t qualified for, by people who were hired as part of a diversity hire.” This was noted by , and a former major of the American National Guard, in his book, entitled “The War on Warriors”, in 2024.
Relentlessly meritocratic promotion system in the armed forces
Taking over the US Department of Defense in 2025, Hegseth pledged to establish a system of officer promotions in the armed forces that would be “relentlessly meritocratic” and “solely oriented” to “the ability to conduct war.” But in his day, neither black nor female officers are promoted to higher ranks, even if they have exemplary records.
“Blacks over whites”
Turning the tables on reality, Hegseth argues that the servicemen most likely to be discriminated against in the armed forces are white. And he traces the cause of the problem to the stormy protests across America caused by the killing of George Floyd, a black American, who was killed by a white police officer on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis.
According to Hegseth, after this event, the meritocratic culture of the US military began to erode. Judgments and promotions in the US armed forces followed the formula: “blacks over whites. Women over men. Homosexuals over heterosexuals.” However, Pentagon studies refute the US defense minister. A third of black US service members reported experiencing racial discrimination, harassment or both in a 12-month period, according to a survey, during Trump’s first term.
Remove more than 24 generals and admirals
So far in his tenure, Hegseth has dismissed or sidelined more than 24 generals and admirals. Among them, General Charles Quinton Brown Jr., the second black man to serve as the chief of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff (the first was General Colin Powell, 1989-1993, later Secretary of State for President George W. Bush), as well as Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first female chief of staff US Navy. Their removal was publicly announced. However, the extent to which Hegseth has vetoed generals and admirals selected for promotion has remained secret. His bitter critics accuse him of orchestrating pogroms against black and female American officers.
The minister aligns with the MAGA doctrine, under which blacks and women are assumed by default to be underqualified until proven otherwise, despite their achievements. Given this, many military experts and observers have concluded that Pete Hegseth is the least qualified US Secretary of Defense in the 79-year history of the office.
How are judgments made in the American armed forces?
Under the law, US officers to be promoted to the ranks of brigadier general and lieutenant general are selected by review boards, which are made up of senior military officers. Their meetings are so confidential that board members are not allowed to reveal to others that they are participating in the process. According to The New York Times (NYT), which cited Pentagon officials, last year, Hegseth ordered the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps to conduct Internet searches of officers selected by promotion boards, looking for photos, videos or reports that could provoke outrage. of the minister.
The same officials claim that Hegseth has removed a total of 32 officers from the Air Force and Navy promotion lists and that he has refused to give Congress the names of the officers. Notably, for the 2027 defense budget, the Senate provides that Hegseth would have to provide “written justification and notice” whenever he removes an officer’s name from the promotion list.
Restoring the “warrior culture” in the armed forces
Hegseth has reportedly made it his personal mission to restore the “warrior culture” in the US Armed Forces by eliminating the “woke” culture and the values of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). He considers the phrase “diversity is our strength” “by far the dumbest phrase in military history.” He claims that he himself has suffered persecution because of his religion and his “conservative” views.
Hegseth’s Christian Tattoos – The Iran War as a Crusade
The minister also expresses his deep Christian faith with tattoos on his body, including a Jerusalem Cross and the phrase Deus Vult (“God’s Will”), a crusader’s motto in the Middle Ages, which is now used by violent far-right extremist groups.
His critics accuse him of promoting a vigorous version of Christian white nationalism, and of seeking to embed those values in the armed forces. Hegseth often presents the US war against Muslim Iran as a holy war and a religious crusade.
Deportations of members of the US armed forces
Victims of the Pentagon’s new policy are also war veterans and decorated members of the armed forces, who have been targeted for mass deportations by the Trump administration, along with their families.
Federal government data cited by the NYT show that the Trump administration initiated deportation proceedings against 34 former members of the US armed forces between January 20, 2025 and January 26, 2026. The 34 people are among 125 ex-servicemen arrested for immigration violations over the past year. At the same time, the US authorities placed 248 relatives of ex-servicemen in deportation proceedings.
