Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks with reporters outside the Pentagon on Jan. 27, 2025. (Caitlyn Burchett/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is expected to sign executive orders that remove diversity, equity and inclusion programs from the military and reinstate troops booted out of the service for refusing coronavirus vaccines during the pandemic, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday.
“This is happening quickly, and as the secretary of defense, it’s an honor to salute smartly, as I did as a junior officer and now as the secretary of defense, to ensure these orders are complied with rapidly and quickly,” he said.
Hegseth made brief statement to reporters Monday as he climbed the steps of the Pentagon to begin his first official week on the job.
The Senate on Friday night confirmed Hegseth as defense secretary by the narrowest of margins, elevating the Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host to the top Pentagon position with the help of a rare tiebreaking vote by Vice President JD Vance.
The 51-50 vote marked only the second time in modern history that a vice president had to be called to the Capitol to break a tie on a Cabinet nomination.
Defense secretaries are typically confirmed with bipartisan support, including during Trump’s first term. Jim Mattis, a four-star Marine Corps general, was almost unanimously confirmed, and Mark Esper, a former Army secretary, was confirmed in a 90-8 vote.
But Hegseth, 44, faced an uphill battle to win over the Senate as he was dogged for months by accusations of sexual assault and harassment, alcohol abuse and financial mismanagement of two veterans organizations that he once led.
Hegseth made his first visit to the Pentagon on Saturday. There was no media coverage of his arrival. Later Saturday, Hegseth released a “Message to the Force” that outlined his agenda for his tenure — focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards and readiness.
“The president gave us a clear mission: achieve peace through strength. We will do this in three ways — by restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military and reestablishing deterrence,” Hegseth’s memo read.
Following Trump’s executive order to get rid of federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs, commonly referred to as DEI, Hegseth shared Sunday on social media that the Pentagon would immediately comply with the order.
“No exceptions, name changes or delays. Those who do not comply will no longer work here,” he wrote.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth walks with Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after arriving at the Pentagon on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (Alexander Kubitza/Department of Defense)
Hegseth was greeted Monday by Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who Hegseth has criticized in the past.
“First of all, you got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Any general that was involved, general, admiral, whatever, that was involved in any of the DEI woke [stuff] has got to go,” he said during a November podcast interview on the “Shawn Ryan Show.”
As Hegseth climbed the Pentagon steps Monday, he responded to a few questions from reporters, including whether he would fire Brown or other Pentagon leaders. Hegseth appeared to sidestep the question, instead telling the reporters that he was “standing with them right now.”
Moments before Hegseth was asked whether he would fire Brown, he thanked the general for welcoming him and said they would “get to work.”
“Our job is lethality and readiness and war fighting and hold people accountable. I know the chairman agrees with that,” he said. “The lawful orders of the president of the United States will be executed inside this Defense Department, swiftly and without excuse.”
The new executive orders were expected to be signed within the day, Hegseth said.
