Fact Check: Did Pete Hegseth block the promotion of several Black and female military officers?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid renewed tensions between the United States and Iran, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth blocked the promotion of several Black and female military officers, sparking criticisms and doubts. Let us analyze and fact-check the claim.
Claim: Pete Hegseth blocked the promotion of Black and female officers
According to a claim that has gone viral online, Hegseth has blocked promotions for several female and Black Navy officers, and nearly 60% of the senior officers he has fired are female or Black.
The allegations have triggered massive backlash from social media users, with many accusing him of being a racist, misogynist, and violating merit-based promotion rules.
While many tried to defend Hegseth in the comments, saying that the claims are fake, a few others remained skeptical and questioned the authenticity of the claim.
Fact Check: The claim is indeed true
The claim is true indeed and originated from reports published by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times on Monday, according to which at least two women, two Black men, and three white men were targeted.
The report cited four unidentified current and former defense officials as the source for the claim.
The report further said that eight Navy captains had been denied promotions and that Hegseth was also trying to prevent several one-star admirals from advancing in rank.
In response to the report, Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a prepared statement that "military promotions are given to those who have earned them. The Department will never consider the color of a service member's skin or their gender as a factor in promotions."
He concluded his statement by saying, “The Failing New York Times continues to push this worn-out narrative because they view almost everything through the lens of race and gender over merit."
Pete Hegseth denounces 'woke' policies at West Point
The allegation surfaced just days after he delivered an incendiary speech to graduates of the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, where he attacked previous leaders as having been “woke and weak.”
“We saw woke and weak leaders trying to make West Point look like woke Princeton, which happens to be my long-lost and lost alma mater,” he said.
“They tried to introduce diversity and inclusion studies. They hire professors who advocated for anti-American ideologies right here in these halls, but no more.”
“Let me be perfectly clear, you are not an ‘army of one’, and you are certainly not an army of woke. You are an American army, an army of warriors,” he said.
