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Pete Hegseth blocks Navy promotions, targets women and Black officers

newsJun 19, 20265810,913

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has blocked the promotions of at least 40 senior officers to general and admiral ranks this year, The New York Times reports. About half of the officers he removed were women or members of minority groups, and many had publicly supported diversity initiatives or urged COVID vaccination. The Times says Hegseth used secret vetting and direct vetoes to override military promotion boards, including removing Rear Adm. Stephen D. Barnett from consideration to lead the Navy’s worldwide base command. These actions risk sidelining experienced Black and female leaders and could weaken merit-based advancement, talent retention, and morale at the highest levels of the U.S. military.

jamelle
@jamellebouie.net

pete hegseth is engaged in open racial discrimination against black officers. the clear message is that there is no place for black or women leadership in his military

546245d ago
jamelle1260

merit, you see, is when you ignore the qualifications of an officer and deny them a promotion because they are black, and promote a less qualified alternative because he is white

hotelalhamra.bsky.social60

The poor institutionalist NYT can never just come out and say what we all know is true. Hegseth is not engaged in a “war on diversity” he is a member of misogynistic white Christian nationalist religious cult. He is openly promoting white supremacy (and Christian nationalism) in the military.

DisheveldYoshi47

“War on diversity” is a crazy way to refer to neo-segregationists doing Jim Crow shit

Maia30

actually racism in professional settings is *only* dei. i am a centrist pundit making 6 million dollars a year

atrapter.bsky.social29

calling it a "war on diversity" is really just intentionally obfuscating what is going on here

Robert Wilde28

2029 Democratic trifecta should pass legislation authorizing civil lawsuits against him for this.

redlishka9.bsky.social26

Five bucks says he was passed over for promotion while in the ranks and believes it was because of his race and gender and not because he is a an utter and complete tool. Now he gets his “revenge” by making the military less prepared than ever.

Richard E Frankel20

Whiskey Pete is one of the best examples you can find to disprove the notion of white supremacy.

Jack Brand14

Pete Hegseth pontificating about people unqualified for their position is beyond peak irony.

Kathryn of Tarth11

His ASSUMPTION that women and POC got there because of WOKEness (as HE defines that) is racism, AND sexism incarnate. He has NO idea that to be WOKE means to be enlightened about how things work in society, which of course he isn’t. It’s pure dramatic irony for him to invoke wokeness at all.

Wedge Antilles 🇨🇴🇺🇸11

F'ing republicans, man. Their racism and misogyny is just so disgusting. I don't get why and how they get off on this.

Pop-up Leftist Cwab Depot9

It’s a clear violation of the law, but all the mechanisms that are supposed to enforce those laws are also in the hands of white supremacists.

Andy Lewis/The Optionist8

I hate the NYT framing of this. Implicit in the "war on diversity" headline is the idea that these promotions were based on that. Why not "Hegseth's campaign to desegregate the military" or more accurately "Hegseth's racist campaign ..."?

#LestWeForget8

Put an openly racist, homophobic misogynistic alcoholic in charge and none of this should be any surprise. The US has become a cesspool run by a gang of quacks and con artists #RapistInCharge #PedoPresident #GOPComplicit #ReleaseTheTrumpEpsteinFiles.

Dona Dickinson7

Denying these promotions makes us lose wonderful leaders. Tammy Duckworth Lloyd Austin Just two examples of leaders he would have stopped. This is egregiously wrong for our country and our military. He should be impeached and removed.

donpatriot.bsky.social7

In my heart of hearts this is the guy I’ll most enjoy seeing thrown in prison for the rest of his fucking life.

Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems6

Yes. It also goes beyond that. Even ppl who are pro-COVID vaccines or attended diversity events. Authoritarians start by scapegoating a few groups. But they aim to control every1. They just don't admit it bc "I aim to control every1, including U" is a poor campaign slogan bsky.app/profile/donm...

Colin Elves6

Okay, so reading between the lines he’s saying that white guys are just inherently less capable than everyone else. They just can’t compete if there’s any competition at all.

Renee (paix120)6

Sounds like something a guy with white nationalist tattoos would do with that kind of power

Silly B Man5

Literally every white GOFO will need to put in for retirement on January 21, 2029. They are automatically suspect. Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.

MaryM5

It is not a war on diversity. It is blatant misogyny and racism.

Allan Schlosser5

Hegseth equal parts fascist, racist, misogynist and xenophobe. Then there's that little matter of being manifestly unqualified.

Jennifer Lee 🪁5

I keep waiting for him to get fired. I’m surprised Trump hasn’t blamed him for Iran.

Uno5

When Hegseth talks about merit, I always remember his mom had to save his nomination, his brother has an office next to him in the pentagon, and his wife attends sensitive military meetings with him.

Mike Lowder4

And not a single GOP member of congress cares.

Linda Magid4

I don't love the title with the word "diversity." Make is sound like a battle over an idea rather than policy that impacts real people with real jobs as well as our national security.

Liz N3

We are living in the planned destruction of not only our own nation but we're taking down others as well.

NO OBEYANCE IN ADVANCE3

Hegseth thinks he's just better than a black man.

Adam O3

This, plus the outrageous waste of bombs and missiles in Iran and the Caribbean, will set our military back decades. China is laughing their ass off.

Harriet T is my hero3

On top of being openly racist and misogynistic, hegseth is a mass murderer and war criminal. The senate can freeze his travel budget?

Emily Green3

Copying gift link here: www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/u...

wrestlingdad1975.bsky.social3

Pete would have been friendly fired upon multiple times, such a fake tough guy

BullmastiffLA3

about those tattoos... always assume the worst.

Jeff Terflinger2

Yep, he's a white nationalist racist.

Seulement Moi2

How big would the armed forces be if every non-white, non-male simply let their contacts expire?

JEJ 🇺🇸 ❤️📚2

Looking forward eagerly to the day when there is no place in the US military for Hegseth.

Gentlewoman Farmer2

that's okay the excluded are not getting the flu and dying from it so the problem is solving itself

Christian Petersen2

The White House, The Capitol, the whole damn country. Fuck Hegseth.

AllCaps-222

Not a war on diversity. A war on competency.

Regina Schrambling 2

Someone needs to tell him "just following orders" is no defense.

apple431.bsky.social2

By determining merit by sex and race Hegseth is degrading our military. He can pretend that America is a white European country but it’s not and has not been for decades. His position is not sustainable

Feathered Stone2

Look Republicans if you don’t want us to call your racist stop doing racist shit

ALi2

Where did all these fragile white men come from?

TallyAnnaE ☮️🌊 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈💙🦋🐸2

Did anyone think Hegseth would stop at attacking transgender troops? Oh no, he was just getting started.

philipfrankenfeld.bsky.social2

The target for this? Warrantedly insecure white people who are no longer advantaged by their skin color in a meritocratic, increasingly technologically complicated, dynamic, changing society. Your. Free. Ride. Is. Over.

Patricia2

Denying men and women the ability to advance their careers, after they have clearly made the choice to be career military, is ignorant and cruel. They have put in the same work as white men have, and deserve the same accolades and promotions.

Mr. Spookytime Grift2

Bright side: once this shitstain regime is gone, we're gonna need to fire a lot of the assholes who went along with it, leaving lots of openings for new promotions.

Kai Ryssdal
@kairyssdal.bsky.social

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump are re-segregating the American military by race and sex Secret Vetting and Blocked Promotions: Inside Hegseth’s War on Diversity www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/u...

100745d ago
Aaron Rupar
@atrupar.com

Trump claims that Pete Hegseth, who is 0-1 in wars, "doesn't know how to lose"

91344d ago
lynnotago.bsky.social35

Can they not just lock him up in a room and stick him in front of a mirror, instead of the fucking world having to listen to his fucking demented rants!

Patric Reynolds27

Losing is literally all he’s done since being in charge of wars.

Mike Bloom16

Tell that to his divorce lawyer

Kevin10

That seems to be true You can't know how to lose if you can't accept that you've lost

Randy Tutelage9

It’s not that they don’t know how to lose. It’s that they can’t understand when they’ve lost.

Richard E Frankel8

He doesn’t know how to lose. He just does it.

Nathan Kalmoe (he/him)8

"Well, everyone knows Hegseth lost the Battle for Hormuz. What this speech presupposes is... maybe he didn't?"

Anton Shadow7

Hegseth Has Lost In Court 22 Times In Less Then A Year Over Illegal Acts While At The DOD.

Lisa 🇨🇦7

Doing a fantastic job at what? Drinking, womanizing, calling soldiers fat, quoting fake Bible verses from Pulp Fiction, putting make-up on - he's a complete fucking moron. He is the LEAST qualified Secretary of Defense in modern U.S. history. DUI hire much?

momothegooddog.bsky.social6

He meant to say he doesn't know how to admit he lost.

Hagen Patrick6

"Because he doesn't understand what just happened in Iran."

Popebob5

A little boy playing GI Joe with real people.

Emily4

Heggy is about as good at waging war as he is at doing pull ups or working on the bench press. But everyone around him humors him like he's doing great. Which is exactly why Trump thinks he can get away with claiming victory in a losing war. www.instagram.com/reel/DZhN511...

carljungfranz.bsky.social4

* Weird * * Trump IS Mental Deterioration AND the Republican Party & "SCOTUS" & MAGA-base Do Not Care. The Country needs a Caregiver & no one cares. *

Luap Goma4

I bet he’s lashing himself for failing.

abacodog.bsky.social4

Who cares what this idiot says about anything? How about we all stop paying any attention?!

arrath.bsky.social3

What he means is that pete indeed does not know how to handle losing, and is currently in the midst of a bender trying to drown his sorrows.

Robert Fischoff2

Hegseth claims that Donald Trump, who is 0-47,300 in truth vs. lies “doesn’t know how to lie”

redoakhandle.bsky.social2

Kegsbreath doesn't know anything. So technically correct.

spinnity2

Yeah, we know. He clearly does not know how to handle this or any of his many losses

Jeremiah2

Well, I mean, he’s clearly a sore loser. Maybe that’s what he means?

RF1958 🇦🇺 🦘2

He joined the Trump team didn't he?

Bea2

pete hegseth is not a natural-born warrior. he's a mean sober.

Don Moynihan
@donmoyn.bsky.social

"So far this year, Mr. Hegseth has blocked the promotions of at least 40 senior officers to general and admiral ranks. About half of those are women or members of minority groups." This is an unprecedented effort to whitewash military leadership. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/u...

64745d ago
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