US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed nine navy officers, including women and Black service members, from a promotion list last month, resulting in an all-male, overwhelmingly white slate of 22 nominees for one-star admiral, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The intervention violated promotion rules designed to be merit-based and apolitical, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. The original list included three women and two Black officers, in addition to two who remained. A navy source said officials had been “very confident” with the list, but Hegseth did not explain his removals.
One government source said Hegseth had “his favourite MOS’s, and then gender and race. He went through the list and scrubbed a few names. It was felt loud and clear.” The Pentagon disputed that promotions were blocked based on race or gender, with spokesperson Sean Parnell stating: “Under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, meritocracy reigns supreme.”
The move parallels Hegseth’s reported intervention in an army promotion list in March, where he directed the army secretary to remove two women and two Black officers. Hegseth has previously criticised diversity initiatives, saying in September: “For too long, we’ve promoted too many uniform leaders for the wrong reasons – based on their race, based on gender quotas.”
A former military official called Hegseth’s involvement unusual, saying: “It’s supposed to be an up-and-down vote from the defence secretary. He’s stripping autonomy from the service secretaries.” The list includes Capt Sean Barbabella, Donald Trump’s White House physician, who recently declared the president in “excellent health”.
Hegseth has fired or sidelined nearly three dozen senior military officers since his confirmation, including dismissing Adm Lisa Franchetti as chief of naval operations and reassigning V Adm Yvette Davids, the first woman to lead the US naval academy. The actions extend the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the military.
