U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a speech at West Point on Saturday attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and "woke" ideology [1, 2, 3].
The address signals a systemic shift in military personnel policy and training, aligning the Department of Defense with the Trump administration's goal to remove progressive social influences from the armed forces [1, 3].
Speaking at Michie Stadium, Hegseth said, "We are ending the woke culture in the military" [3]. The event was attended by hundreds of top U.S. officials [3]. Hegseth said that these ideologies undermine the primary mission of the military [1, 3].
As part of this shift, Hegseth said the Pentagon will end its education programs with Harvard because of woke ideology [2]. This move targets academic partnerships that the administration views as incompatible with military readiness.
Former White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley praised the secretary's stance during an interview with Sky News Australia. Gidley said, "We need to be feared, loved and respected on a global stage, and we are now with Donald Trump, we are not with Pete Hegseth" [1].
The speech occurred during a rainy day at the United States Military Academy in New York [2, 3]. While some reports attribute the declaration of ending "woke" culture to both President Donald Trump and Hegseth, other accounts credit the announcement to the secretary alone [2, 3].
“We are ending the woke culture in the military.”
This policy shift represents a formal pivot away from the social engineering goals of previous administrations. By targeting specific academic partnerships and DEI frameworks, the Department of Defense is prioritizing a traditionalist interpretation of military lethality and cohesion over inclusive recruitment and training strategies.
