Hegseth Blocks Navy One-Star Promotions Over DEI Involvement, Exercises Authority to Prioritize Merit

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blocked the promotions to one-star admirals of several senior Navy officers who had been selected by a board of senior Navy admirals, three sources familiar with the move told ABC News. The official promotion list was released by the Pentagon on May 22.

The removed officers included African Americans, women, and white males who were removed for a variety of reasons, including their participation in military Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, the sources said.

Hegseth has now intervened in both the Army and Navy’s most recent promotions to the one-star rank. In the Army case, four colonels were removed from the brigadier general promotion list, including two African Americans and two women. Separately, Hegseth made efforts to get one of his senior military aides on the promotion list or to get him promoted, sources said.

Capt. , a Navy SEAL serving as Hegseth’s assistant, could not be reviewed by the promotion board because he did not meet certain criteria, such as heading a major command. The New York Times was first to report Hegseth’s block of the promotions and the effort to promote Capt.

Francis. Since Hegseth became defense secretary, 19 senior generals or flag officers have been fired or sidelined. Secretaries of Defense have the authority to intervene in promotion lists for reasons of cause.

Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to ABC News: "As we've said before, 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.