The Video Summary is viewable at: https://erm76.substack.com/p/hegseths-path-of-exclusion-dei-and Introduction The Trump Administration launched a campaign of exclusion from the first day he took office. It has manifested itself in many forms, and we're primarily focusing on the most egregious, the anti-DEI mandate. It has an enormous impact on the life of our country, including today's podcast's focus, the military establishment. DEI, or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is the concept and process of supporting the equitable treatment of potential employees, students and, in this case, officers, among others, from underrepresented groups who may have been excluded in the past. These include people of color and women. But for the Trump Administration, its goal is to dismantle any construct it views as being driven by DEI principles. At its core, it's racist and sexist, and its enablers include the Republican-controlled Congress, the President and his Cabinet. And one such cabinet member, in particular, is Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense. DEI and the Military In June 2026, Hegseth blocked the promotions of nine Navy officers who had been selected by a board of senior Navy admirals…. Mr. Hegseth's actions, which appear to violate the rules governing a promotion system that is supposed to be apolitical and merit-based, were described by five current and former defense officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters. No female officers were included on the new one-star list, which was released publicly in late May, despite the fact that women make up about 21 percent of the active-duty Navy. The list appears to include only two nonwhite officers, even though sailors who identify as racial minorities make up about 38 percent of the active-duty Navy. (1) This isn't the first time the secretary interfered in promotions. As reported in our April 17, 2026 podcast, he similarly blocked the promotion of army officers in a prior anti-DEI round. One can only assume that the other branches of the military are being queued up for similar treatment. This unfortunate situation reminds me of a famous Yogi-ism. “It's deja vu all over again.” * And with Pete Hegseth, it is. There's also a direct line from these events to the September 2025 meeting when some 800 US military leaders from around the world were summoned to hear Hegseth's directives and vision for the armed forces. This created global command voids, by the way, since so many people were meeting in Quantico, Virginia, rather than being on-station. The secretary's message included at that time, For too long, we've promoted too many uniformed leaders for the wrong reasons based on their race, based on gender quotas, based on historic so-called firsts,” Hegseth said. The approach, he said, made the Pentagon “less capable and less lethal.” Hegseth talked up his and Trump's focus on “the warrior ethos” and “peace through strength. (2) The assumption, of course, is that many promotions were influenced by DEI mandates. Further, they claim these alleged DEI-based promotions have affected the Pentagon's preparedness and martial capabilities. But the administration hasn't presented any evidence, other than conjecture and racist and sexist tropes, to support these claims. This is in contrast with the real-world cost of Trump's and Hegseth's decisions. In one case, it's a brain drain. Rather than promoting vetted individuals to positions of higher authority where their experience and knowledge may be further tapped, they're blocked. Over time, you're cutting off a valuable resource that may actually realize Hegseth's fear of making the Pentagon less capable. So, congratulations, Pete. You've become your own worst enemy. The Impact The blocked officers had been vetted and were subsequently placed on the promotion list by their superiors. They were, that is, until Hegseth decided to remove them for no apparent reason other than the raising of the DEI flag. So, individuals who are meritorious and have made sacrifices to serve their country are summarily dismissed by the whim of one individual and the administration he obediently serves. What message does this send to others who either just entered a service or are progressing through the ranks? Exclusion These are just a few markers on the Trump Administration's DEI path of exclusion. If you don't fit a certain mold, an administration-approved mold, you get removed. If you are a person of color, a woman or a member of another marginalized group, your past history, which had been available online, may have been removed from a Department of Defense website. If you're Harriet Tubman, the well-known Civil War abolitionist who risked her life to help bring captives out of slavery, you're removed from a National Park Service webpage about the Underground Railroad. But this act touched off such an outcry that some of the information was restored. The problem, though, is the volume of data from multiple sites. Have accurate records been kept as to what has been removed and from where? Have the removed data been safely stored in an archive or permanently wiped? Further, as reported by CNN, information not even related to DEI was removed, including Holocaust and 9/11 remembrance as well as mental health and sexual assault prevention resources. (3) As an aside, I would be curious to know if the people who ordered the removal of this data have the courage to do the deeds of the people they tried to erase from our history. Harriet Tubman, for one, was a former slave who had the courage to go back into hostile territory to help rescue and free others. If caught, she most likely would have been killed. Yet, she didn't falter. Would these modern-day digital data burners have done likewise? Conclusion To wrap up, there are two final points about the administration's anti-DEI campaign. Trump and Hegseth have used it as a political cudgel to eliminate programs that have served underrepresented groups and, in the context of this discussion, to block military promotions. But, by their actions, they're also undercutting the authority of senior military leaders. These individuals vetted the officers slated for promotion. But at the last minute, the Secretary of Defense, who generally wouldn't interfere, decides to block the process for a political motive. It affects those whose names have been removed as well as the officers who vetted and approved of the promotions. This actually weakens the military infrastructure that Hegseth and Trump claim they want strengthened, as you'll never know when you'll be second-guessed. Second, Hegseth's action raises the specter that some officers only reached their current rank because of a DEI-mandate. This is heinous and damnable. It casts an unjust and unworthy aspersion by an inexperienced secretary and his president, a chicken-hawk. It's a damnable lie promulgated by an administration that lacks competence and any ethical foundation. The midterms can't come fast enough. Notes * The term Yogi-ism describes Yogi Berra's well known sayings. Yogi was, of course, a catcher for the most storied team in baseball, the New York Yankees. And who doesn't like the Yogi or, for that matter, the Yankees?! (1) “Hegseth Strikes Female and Black Navy Officers From Promotion List,” by Greg Jaffe and Kate Kelly, The New York Times. June 1, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/us/politics/hegseth-navy-promotion-list.html (2) “Pete Hegseth had a lot to say when he summoned military leaders. Here are some facts and context,” by Julie Watson, Laurie Kellman and Deepth Hajela, AP News. September 30, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/military-combat-women-race-hegseth-d406029d0e0dfd52443ef8d7fcb765cb (3) “24,000 articles on chopping block in Pentagon website purge,” Natasha Bertrand reporting, CNN. Mar 20, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCfewUTI6oY
