Hegseth Halts At Least Six Military Promotions As Officials Raise Concerns Over Unusual Intervention and Possible Bias
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth intervened to halt the promotions of several high-ranking service members, including four Army officers, two Black men and two women, who had been in line to become one-star generals, NPR has confirmed.
According to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly, Hegseth took the unusual step of inserting himself into the standard promotion process, a move first reported by The New York Times. A second official confirmed that Hegseth has been reviewing senior officers and removing those considered ideologically out of step with his leadership.
NPR also reported that a Black colonel and a female colonel from another military branch were removed from the promotion list, bringing the total number of blocked promotions to at least six.
Before joining the Trump administration, Hegseth authored books criticizing the U.S. military as “woke” and arguing that diversity initiatives had weakened the force.
Since taking office, Hegseth has overseen a broad restructuring within the Pentagon, including the removal of several top-ranking officials. He dismissed Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown, the second African American to serve in the role, and previously questioned whether Brown’s appointment was based on merit or race in his book The War on Warriors.
He also removed Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to serve as the Navy’s top uniformed officer. No formal explanations were provided for either decision.
In a statement to NPR, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell rejected the reporting, calling it “fake news” and stating that promotions under Hegseth are based strictly on merit.
“Under Secretary Hegseth, military promotions are given to those who have earned them,” Parnell said. “Meritocracy, which reigns in this Department, is apolitical and unbiased.”
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he is reviewing the situation.
“If these reports are accurate, Secretary Hegseth’s decision to remove four decorated officers from a promotion list after having been selected by their peers for their merit and performance is not only outrageous, it would be illegal,” Reed said. “Denying promotions based on race or gender would undermine the very principles of merit-based service that military officers are expected to uphold.”
