'You’re not civilians': Pete Hegseth warns sailors against woke diversity at Navy’s 250th birthday

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA: War Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a speech in Norfolk, Virginia to celebrate the Navy’s 250th birthday bash, echoing President Donald Trump’s “America first, peace through strength” motto while torching diversity, equity, and inclusion programs along the way.

The event went down at the Naval Station Norfolk, the biggest naval base on the planet, where 82,000 active-duty military and nearly 29,000 civilians keep the operation humming.

Pete Hegseth fires up the US Navy

Walking up to a sea of uniforms, Pete Hegseth called the crowd “the absolute best of America."

“Looking out at all of you — I know you know why the President always says we have the strongest, most powerful, most lethal, most ready military on the planet, and he’s going to make sure we keep it that way,” Hegseth told the thousands packed in.

He framed the event as the perfect way to salute a quarter millennium of naval might. “This is the perfect way to mark 250 years of the United States Navy. You know, President Trump has made our mission clear; America first, and peace through strength with common sense at every turn,” he said.

“At the War Department — it is the War Department — we’re committed to that mission of peace through strength. And for the Navy, that means more Sailors, more subs, more ships and more munitions for all of them. Navy and the Marine Corps embody the resilience of our country. Nobody, nobody in the world does it better than the United States Navy," he continued.

Pete Hegseth reminds sailors 'diversity is not your strength' 

Pete Hegseth then set his sights on what he sees as one of the Navy’s biggest modern distractions, the DEI agenda.

“You’re not civilians, you are different — Sailors, Seals, Marines. You were set apart for a distinct purpose. Your diversity is not your strength,” Hegseth declared. “Your strength is your unity of purpose, your shared mission, your love of country. Generation after generation, battle after battle, ship after ship, Sailor after Sailor, you have set the tone.”

To drive home his point, Hegseth took a page from American naval legend John Paul Jones, the Scottish-born officer hailed as the “Father of the American Navy.”

“The story began with John Paul Jones when he declared, ‘I have not yet begun to fight.’ Today we have a commander-in-chief who fights for all of you and fights for our country every single day,” Hegseth said.

He went on to heap praise on Trump, calling him a leader who’s all in for the men and women in uniform.

“A commander-in-chief who guarantees that you, the war fighters, have everything you need on the high seas to deter our enemies, and if necessary, win overwhelmingly. We have a president who appreciates your dedication. He appreciates your service, your sacrifice, and that of your family as well. And as I always tell every service member, every Sailor I see, he has your back,” Hegseth noted. 

'Godspeed' from the War Department

Before stepping down, Pete Hegseth left the crowd with a full-throated salute from the Pentagon.

“So war fighters, on behalf of everyone at the Department of War, thank you. Thank you for your commitment to America’s Navy. You stand the watch 250 years later, God bless you, and may God bless our great Republic. Godspeed,” he said.

Hegseth’s speech was just the opening act. First lady Melania Trump followed with short remarks before Trump himself took the stage for a 45-minute speech.