Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he believes the U.S. military has been weakened by diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and has vowed to restore “the warrior ethos” to the armed forces. In one of his first directives to Pentagon employees, Mr. Hegseth sent a short, handwritten note on his official letterhead making this priority clear.
In large black letters, he wrote: “DoD ≠ DEI*.”
The asterisk, he added below, denoted “no exceptions, name-changes or delays. Those who do not comply will no longer work here.” It was signed “SecDef 29.”
On Sunday, Mr. Hegseth shared the note on social media. It was distributed to Pentagon employees over the weekend, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to be quoted by name.
Mr. Hegseth was sworn in as the 29th defense secretary on Saturday after the Senate confirmed him the night before on a 51-to-50 vote, the smallest margin for a defense secretary’s confirmation since the position was created in 1947, according to Senate records. Vice President JD Vance had to cast a tiebreaking vote after three Republicans joined all Democrats in voting no.
President Trump has promised a war on diversity programs that are intended to reverse decades of systemic inequities. The Trump administration last week threatened federal employees with “adverse consequences” if they fail to report on colleagues who defied orders to purge D.E.I. efforts from their agencies.
