Pete Hegseth Targets DEI as He Takes Charge at the Pentagon

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.

When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth starts his first official day on Monday morning, he will face a daunting array of issues to tackle — from global conflicts and border security to administrative tasks. At the top of his list is addressing President Donald Trump’s priority to strengthen the U.S. military presence along the southern border and reviewing whether active-duty forces should be used for law enforcement — something done rarely.

Newly sworn-in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made it clear on Sunday that he would not stand for “malicious compliance” with regard to his efforts to root out Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from the United States military. Hegseth promised immediately after his confirmation to ensure that the military would return to full strength and lethality, an effort that would require a focus on fitness for duty rather than social demographics — but the immediate response from at least one military base was what Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) referred to as “malicious compliance.”