Is Pete Hegseth Sexist and Racist? Defense Secretary Blocks Female and Black Officers From Becoming Admirals

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.

So, is Pete Hegseth sexist and racist? The Pentagon says no. The pattern across every military branch tells a different story.

A Promotion Slate Wiped Clean of Women

Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell denied that race or gender played any role. 'Military promotions are given to those who have earned them,' he said.

But current and former Navy officials said some officers were apparently targeted for participating in diversity-related events years or decades ago. One appeared on a website seeking to purge 'woke' officers, which claimed she had served as a diversity liaison 20 years earlier. The Wall Street Journal reported that eight captains in total were denied promotions.

A Pattern That Spans Every Branch

The Navy list wasn't an isolated incident. In March, Hegseth removed four Army colonels from a one-star general promotion slate over the objections of Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. Two were Black men, and two were women.

Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said in recent testimony that nearly 60% of the senior officers Hegseth has fired or sidelined are female or Black. That group makes up fewer than 20% of all generals and admirals.

'You are hollowing out the military's bench of experience and highest-performing senior officers, while making young officers wonder if they should continue to serve,' Reed told Hegseth during a hearing.

Among those previously ousted under the administration's purge were General Charles Q. Brown Jr., the second African American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the Navy. While President Trump officially fired the four-star leaders, Hegseth heavily championed their removals as part of his stated mission to clear out 'woke' leadership.

The Ally He Tried to Promote Instead

While blocking qualified officers, Hegseth pushed to promote Navy SEAL Captain William Francis Jr., his special military assistant, who had been repeatedly passed over by promotion boards. Francis lacked the command experience required for the rank.

Representative Chrissy Houlahan asked Hegseth at a hearing whether he had ordered the Navy to add a special operations officer without the required command time to a promotion list. 'I'm not aware of what you're referring to,' he replied. The New York Times described that answer as 'at best, misleading.'

A Court Sees Bias Too

On 1 June, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled 2-1 that Hegseth's ban on transgender military service was unconstitutional and driven by 'animus.' The court wrote that the 'Commander-in-Chief declared transgender people as categorically unfit for military service explicitly because of their gender identity.'

Days earlier, Hegseth told West Point graduates that 'diversity is not our strength' and accused previous military leaders of embracing what he called the diversity, equity, and inclusion 'craze.' He has fired or sidelined at least two dozen admirals and generals since taking office.

Whether his actions constitute sexism and racism is a question critics and defenders answer differently. But the facts don't require interpretation. Nearly 60% of the senior officers he has removed are women or Black. He tried to install an unqualified ally in their place. A federal court has already concluded that one of his policies was motivated by bias. The pattern speaks for itself.