Pete Hegseth blocks promotions of two Black and two female officers. Here’s what the report claims

Pete Hegseth has reportedly blocked the promotion of four Army officers to one-star general rank, an unusual step that has raised concerns among senior military officials about potential bias tied to race or gender. Two of the officers are Black, and two are women, selected from a list of roughly three dozen candidates, most of whom are white men.

According to officials, Hegseth had pressured Army leadership, including Daniel P. Driscoll, for months to remove the names. Driscoll reportedly refused, citing their “decades-long records of exemplary service.” Earlier this month, Hegseth acted unilaterally to strike the four officers from the list, though questions remain about whether he has the legal authority to do so. The revised list is now under White House review before being sent to the Senate.

Critics say the move undermines confidence in a promotion system intended to be merit-based and apolitical. Hegseth, however, has framed his actions as part of a broader effort to eliminate what he calls bias against white officers and to reverse policies he considers “woke.” Tensions over personnel decisions surfaced previously during a dispute involving Ricky Buria and Driscoll.

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Buria allegedly objected to the selection of Antoinette R. Gant for a high-profile command, claiming “President Trump would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at military events,” according to officials. Driscoll pushed back, responding, “The president is not a racist or sexist,” and escalated the issue to the White House. Gant ultimately assumed the role and was later promoted.

Buria denied the account, stating: “Whoever placed this made-up story is clearly trying to sow division among our ranks in the department and the administration. It’s not going to work, and it will never work when this department is led by clear-eyed, mission-driven leaders unfazed by fake Washington gossip.”

A Pentagon spokesperson defended the promotion process, saying, “Under Secretary Hegseth, military promotions are given to those who have earned them,” and described the system as “apolitical and unbiased.” Hegseth’s actions are part of a broader overhaul of military leadership following diversity initiatives under Lloyd J. Austin III and Joe Biden. Those efforts included elevating leaders such as Charles Q. Brown Jr. and Lisa Franchetti. Since taking office, Hegseth has removed or sidelined multiple senior officers and initiated changes to promotion systems. Officials say the decision to strike individual names from a promotion list is highly unusual, with no recent precedent.