WASHINGTON (AP) — Military leaders are shocked by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group said Pete Hegseth should fire for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed as head of the Pentagon.
The list, compiled by the American Accountability Foundation, includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers. That has had a chilling effect on the Pentagon’s often candid discussions as leaders try to figure out how to deal with the potential layoffs and diversity issues under President-elect Donald Trump.
Those on the list appear to be targeted in many cases because of public comments they have made about diversity, either in interviews or at events, and in some cases because of retweets of posts that promote diversity.
Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who runs the foundation, said Friday that those on the list were “pretty egregious” advocates of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, which he called problematic.
“The candidate has made it pretty clear that this has no place in the military,” Jones said of Hegseth.
Hegseth has applauded Trump’s efforts to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who embody those values. Other Trump picks, like Kash Patel for FBI director, have suggested targeting those in the government who don’t align with Trump.
But Hegseth is fighting to save his nomination amid allegations of excessive drinking and sexual assault and questions about the role of women in the fight. He spent the week on Capitol Hill trying to win the support of Republican senators who needed to confirm him as Pentagon leader by conducting a radio interview and writing an opinion column.
Some military officials have complained in the past about the Pentagon’s DEI programs, saying they add to an already weighty workload. The Pentagon still has a long way to go before it has a general officer corps or specialty jobs like pilots whose racial and gender makeup reflects the country.
A defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the list, said senior politicians hoped they could discuss the issue further after Trump was sworn in. They are prepared to provide additional context to the novel administration, the official told The Associated Press, which is not releasing the names to protect the privacy of service members.
Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday that the list would have “significant, far-reaching and profound consequences.” He said when service members see people being marginalized, they will focus on their own survival rather than the mission or their job.
“They’re going to drive people away,” Hagel said. “It affects morale as broadly and profoundly as anything else – it creates a negative dynamic that runs through an organization.”
The list, first reported by the New York Post, includes nine Air Force general officers, seven Navy admirals of various ranks and four Army general officers. Eight of those 20 are women, even though only 17% of the military is female. None are Marines.
A female Navy officer was named for giving a speech at a 2015 Women’s Equality Day event where she pointed out that 80% of Congress is male, which affects what bills are introduced. The officer was also targeted for saying, “Diversity is our strength.”
The phrase is a common talking point that officials across the Pentagon have used for years to talk about the importance of a military that reflects the diverse educational, geographic, economic, gender and racial backgrounds in the country.
A white Air Force colonel was called out for an opinion piece he wrote after the death of George Floyd in which he said, “Dear white colonel, we must address our blind spots regarding race.”
An Air Force officer was targeted because she was on her…
Another Air Force officer was on the list because she “served as a panelist for a discussion on diversity, equity and inclusion” in 2021.
The list names an Army officer who traveled to 14 historically black colleges to expand the military’s intelligence recruiting efforts and an Air Force officer, in part because he is co-chair of the Asian Pacific Islander subgroup of the service’s Diversity Task Force.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump transition team, said in a statement: “No policy should be considered official unless it comes directly from President Trump.”
But in an interview Wednesday for Megyn Kelly’s SiriusXM satellite radio show, Hegseth said Trump told him he wanted a “warfighter” who would tidy up the “woke crap.”
Hegseth received a boost Friday from Trump, who posted on his social media page that Hegseth “will be a fantastic, energetic secretary of defense.” The president-elect added: “Pete is a WINNER and there is nothing you can do to change that!!!”
Jones told the AP in June that his American Accountability Foundation was investigating numerous federal employees suspected of being hostile to Trump’s policies. The work is consistent with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 broad blueprint for conservative stewardship.
A letter dated Tuesday that Jones sent to Hegseth containing the list said: “Purging the Wehrmacht from the military is essential.” The letter points to tensions with Iran, Russia and China and says: ” We cannot afford to allow a military to be distracted and demoralized by leftist ideology. “Our nation’s security is at stake.”
Conservatives believe federal employees are overstepping their role and becoming a power center that can advance or thwart a president’s agenda. During the first Trump administration, administration officials came under attack from the White House and Republicans in Congress, as Trump’s own Cabinet frequently objected to some of his more unique or even illegal proposals.
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AP writer Courtney Bonnell contributed from Washington.
