Exclusive-US military academies should not use race in admissions, Trump’s Pentagon pick says
President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, has expressed his opposition to utilizing race as a criterion for evaluating candidates for elite U.S. military academies. His statements were detailed in a document recently reviewed, emphasizing a swift move to potentially dismantle policies aimed at promoting diversity within the military’s officer ranks.
“I reject the idea that the MSAs (military service academies) should have different standards for individuals with different skin colors,” Hegseth elaborated in written responses submitted to lawmakers.
Hegseth’s stance adds to the ongoing debate over race-conscious admissions at military academies, which has garnered significant attention, particularly given his position as one of Trump’s more controversial cabinet picks. Confirmation by the Senate could occur as early as Friday.
Proponents of the existing diversity-enhancing policy have noted that a lack of minority representation among military officers could foster distrust within the armed services, which only fully desegregated in 1948.
However, this policy has come under scrutiny from Trump supporters, who argue that considering race in admissions contributes to discrimination.
In a related judicial action, the group Students for Fair Admissions, established by prominent affirmative action critic Edward Blum, achieved a significant victory at the Supreme Court in 2023. This ruling prohibited practices employed for decades by colleges and universities to boost enrollment numbers for Black, Hispanic, and other minority students across American campuses.
Notably, this Supreme Court decision did not extend its implications to military academies, with Chief Justice John Roberts acknowledging that the academies possess “potentially distinct interests.”
Following this ruling, Blum’s organization initiated lawsuits against the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the Army’s U.S. Military Academy at West Point, aiming to eliminate the exceptions granted to military educational institutions.
Last month, a judicial setback occurred when a judge dismissed Blum’s claims against the Navy, observing that the race-conscious admissions policy was precisely designed to address the “significant deficiency” of individuals of color among Navy and Marine officers. The other lawsuits are still in progress.
In a decisive move on his first day in office, Trump signed several executive orders aimed at dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government, marking a stark contrast to the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who championed DEI efforts.
DEI initiatives are designed to foster opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other underrepresented groups, while addressing deep-rooted inequities.
Trump and his supporters claim that DEI programs often lead to unfair advantages for certain demographics, undermining the merit-based principles essential to hiring and promotion.
Hegseth, a longstanding critic of DEI initiatives, has committed to eradicating these from the military, along with any frameworks related to critical race theory (CRT)—an academic theory positing that racial bias is ingrained within U.S. institutions.
“Up front, you have to tear out DEI and CRT initiatives, root and branch, out of institutions,” Hegseth remarked during his confirmation hearing.
While Hegseth’s statements suggest an inclination to eliminate race as a consideration in military admissions, he approached the topic somewhat circumspectly, asserting, “I only support hiring and promoting and admitting the best and brightest, whatever their background is.”
