Latest news with #PeteHegseth
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-DEI King Pete Hegseth Has Upsetting Plan for Juneteenth
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants the Pentagon to tone any commemoration of Juneteenth way, way down, in keeping with his anti-diversity crusade. Hegseth's office requested the Department of Defense take 'a passive approach to Juneteenth messaging,' according to an email obtained by Rolling Stone. The Pentagon's office of the chief of public affairs also said in the email it won't publish Juneteenth-related material online on Thursday. Juneteenth marks the official last day of slavery in the United States. After the Civil War ended, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, on June 19, 1865 to free the last enslaved people in the country. President Joe Biden signed a law making Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021. The bill passed with widespread bipartisan support in the House and a unanimous vote in the Senate. The White House did not respond to Rolling Stone's request for comment about Hegseth's directive. A Pentagon official said the DOD 'may engage in the following activities, subject to applicable department guidance: holiday celebrations that build camaraderie and esprit de corps; outreach events (e.g., recruiting engagements with all-male, all-female, or minority-serving academic institutions) where doing so directly supports DoD's mission; and recognition of historical events and notable figures where such recognition informs strategic thinking, reinforces our unity, and promotes meritocracy and accountability.' It's a little surprising that Hegseth didn't choose to do away with marking Juneteenth altogether. Since being sworn in, the defense secretary has repeatedly stated that 'DEI is dead' at the Pentagon. Hegseth has banned the DOD from marking identity months such as Black History Month, Women's History Month, Asian American and Pacific Highlander Heritage Month, and Pride Month. In February, the Pentagon was directed to scrub its website of all 'news and feature articles, photos, and videos that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.' The DOD removed web pages about the Tuskegee Airmen, the WWII accomplishments of Jackie Robinson, and the Navajo Code Talkers, among others—although these were restored after widespread scrutiny. Hegseth has also insisted on changing the names of military bases that were once named after Confederate figures. The bases were renamed following the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, and Hegseth is now working to revert the base names back to the pro-slavery ones.
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Hegseth reportedly orders ‘passive approach to Juneteenth' at Pentagon
The office of the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, requested 'a passive approach to Juneteenth messaging,' according to an exclusive Rolling Stone report citing a Pentagon email. This messaging request for Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free, was transmitted by the Pentagon's office of the chief of public affairs. This office said it was not poised to publish web content related to Juneteenth, Rolling Stone said. The mandate comes amid Donald Trump's attack on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across government, including the US military, which Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has enthusiastically executed. 'The President's guidance (lawful orders) is clear: No more DEI at @DeptofDefense,' Hegseth said in a 26 January post on X. 'The Pentagon will comply, immediately. No exceptions, name-changes, or delays,' Hegseth also wrote. He posted an apparently hand-written note that read 'DOD ≠ DEI.' Hegseth has continued to espouse anti-DEI talking points, claiming without evidence that these policies put military service members in harm's way. In prepared testimony to a Senate hearing this week, Rolling Stone noted, Hegseth said: 'DEI is dead. We replaced it with a colorblind, gender-neutral, merit-based approach, and the force is responding incredibly.' In response to Rolling Stone's request for comment, the Pentagon said that the Department of Defense 'may engage in the following activities, subject to applicable department guidance: holiday celebrations that build camaraderie and esprit de corps; outreach events (eg, recruiting engagements with all-male, all-female, or minority-serving academic institutions) where doing so directly supports DoD's mission; and recognition of historical events and notable figures where such recognition informs strategic thinking, reinforces our unity, and promotes meritocracy and accountability'. Asked for comment by the Guardian, a defense spokesperson said: 'We have nothing additional to provide on this.' President Joe Biden in 2021 made 19 June a federal holiday. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to end slavery in the midst of the civil war. It was not until this date in 1865 that enslaved Black persons in Galveston, Texas, were told about Lincoln's decree. While Robert E Lee had surrendered that April, some supporters of the Confederacy continued to fight. Trump signed an executive order in January that eliminated DEI in the military. He also appeared to sound off on DEI initiatives in an address to graduating West Point cadets on 24 May. 'They subjected the armed forces to all manner of social projects and political causes, while leaving our borders undefended and depleting our arsenals to fight other countries' wars. We fought for other countries' borders but we didn't fight for our own borders, but now we do like we have never fought before,' Trump said. He also stated 'the job of the US armed forces is not to host drag shows or transform foreign cultures', an apparent allusion to drag shows on US military installations. Biden's defense department ended drag shows on military bases in 2023 amid Republican criticism.
CBS News
5 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland sue U.S. Department of Defense over research funding cuts
Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, College Park are fighting to protect millions of dollars in federal research funding, according to a lawsuit. The two universities, along with 10 others, are suing the department and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over an attempt to slash indirect cost rates to 15% for research funded by the department. In a memo issued on June 12, the Defense Department announced plans to cap the amount paid for indirect costs awarded on all research grants to 15%. According to the lawsuit, UMD currently has a 56% indirect costs rate, and JHU has a 55% rate. Indirect costs are resources used for operational expenses that are related to research activities. In a statement, Johns Hopkins said these costs are "necessary costs of conducting groundbreaking research that has made our nation the world's leading military superpower." How would cuts impact universities? Johns Hopkins University said the funds help offset a broad range of costs essential for its research, including equipment and electricity for labs, technical expertise and technological infrastructure, and other basic operational expenses. JHU said it has nearly 300 active Department of Defense grants totaling around $375 million across multiple years, with nearly half of that funding going to the School of Medicine and another 39% going to the Whiting School of Engineering. JHU's negotiated indirect cost rate for Department of Defense research grants was expected to remain at 55% through Fiscal Year 2026. Of the estimated $122 million in DOD funding that the university received in fiscal year 2024, nearly $90 million covered direct costs, and another $32 million accounted for the DOD's share of indirect costs. JHU co-invested to cover the remaining indirect costs. Johns Hopkins expects to receive similar amounts of DOD funding in fiscal years 2025 and 2026. However, if indirect costs are slashed, JHU said it could lose about $22 million. UMD receives approximately $125 million in DOD awards each year. The university could lose $7 million under Pete Hegseth's plan. Johns Hopkins grapples with federal funding cuts In February, Johns Hopkins University joined a federal lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after the agency announced that it would be limiting funding for indirect costs to 15%. That effort was blocked by a federal judge on June 17 after multiple states and institutions filed similar lawsuits. JHU lost more than $800 million from USAID grant terminations. Since January, 90 grants have ended, adding up to another $50 million in federal research funding. The university has been one of the top recipients of research funding from NIH. In June, the university announced it was pausing pay increases and reducing spending due to funding uncertainty.
Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Watch what happens when Fox pundits hired by Trump come back as guests
Several of President Donald Trump's most prominent appointees came either directly from Fox News or Fox Business, such as Defense Secretary Defense Pete Hegseth, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, or worked at the network in the past as a paid pundit or host, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
Fox News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Flaring Iran nuclear crisis provides first major test for pivotal Trump trio
A trio of key Trump administration officials — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt — are in the midst of facing their first major foreign policy test in their high-profile admin roles after Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran and President Donald Trump weighs involving the U.S. in the conflict. The trio ascended to their roles with widespread fanfare among many MAGA conservatives, though many critics just months ago questioned if their prior careers prepared them for what was to come. The current flaring tensions with the Islamic Republic could be the final arbiter of which side was correct. "President Trump leads from the front, and he has assembled a highly-qualified, world-class team that has helped him achieve numerous foreign policy accomplishments this term," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox Digital on Wednesday when asked about the trio's test on Iran. "The American people trust the President to make the right decisions that keep them safe, and he has empowered his team to meet the moment and advance his foreign policy goals." Secretary Hegseth was one of Trump's more controversial nominees among critics, as Democrat lawmakers and left-wing pundits slammed Hegseth as unqualified for the job. "This hearing now seems to be a hearing about whether or not women are qualified to serve in combat. And not about whether or not you are qualified to be secretary of defense," Illinois Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth said during Hegseth's confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in January. "And let me just say that the American people need a secretary of defense who's ready to lead on day one. You are not that person." "Is Pete Hegseth truly the best we have to offer?" asked Democrat Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, ranking member of the committee. Hegseth battled against claims he would lower previous standards for the secretary of Defense and that his vows to strengthen the military could be bluster once he was in the role and juggling oversight of the entire military. "As I've said to many of you in our private meetings, when President Trump chose me for this position, the primary charge he gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense," he said in his opening statement during his confirmation hearing. "He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser focused on warfighting, lethality, meritocracy, standards, and readiness. That's it. That is my job." Hegseth was confirmed to the role after Vice President JD Vance issued a tie-breaking vote when Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell joined Democrats in voting against the confirmation. Hegseth is an Ivy League graduate and former National Guard officer who was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay during his military career, which began in 2003. He is also the recipient of a handful of military awards, including two Bronze Stars. He appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday and was pressed about the Israel–Iran conflict. "They should have made a deal," Hegseth said. "President Trump's word means something — the world understands that," Hegseth said, referring to Trump's repeated pressure on Iran to make a deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program as the conflict spiraled. "And at the Defense Department, our job is to stand ready and prepared with options. And that's precisely what we're doing," Hegseth continued. He did not reveal if the U.S. would assist Israel in the ongoing strikes on Iran, but that the Pentagon is in the midst of preparing options for Trump. Any potential U.S. involvement in the strikes could pull the country into war against Iran. "I may do it, I may not do it," Trump said Wednesday on whether he would order a strike on Iran. "I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do." Hegseth was among high-profile Trump officials who joined Trump in the White House's Situation Room as the president and his team closely monitor the flaring conflict. Director of National Intelligence Gabbard is another Trump official who faced an intense confirmation hearing as critics argued she was unqualified for the role. Gabbard is a former Democrat who served in the U.S. House representing Hawaii from 2013 to 2021, a former member of the House Armed Services Committee and an Iraq war veteran. However, she had never held a formal position within the intelligence community before serving as director of national intelligence. Ahead of her confirmation, Gabbard's critics slammed her as lacking the qualifications for the role, questioning her judgment over a 2017 meeting with then-Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, labeling her as sympathetic toward Russia, and balking at her previous favorable remarks related to former National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden. "Those who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience and the Constitution of the United States," she said during her confirmation hearing. "Accusing me of being Trump's puppet, Putin's puppet, Assad's puppet, a guru's puppet, Modi's puppet, not recognizing the absurdity of simultaneously being the puppet of five different puppet masters." She ultimately was confirmed in a 52–48 vote. Gabbard's March testimony before the Senate dismissing concerns Iran was actively building a nuclear weapon is back under the nation's microscope after Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran. Israel's strikes were in direct response to Israeli intelligence showing Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a short span of time. Trump was asked about Gabbard's testimony while traveling back to Washington Monday evening from the G7 summit in Canada, and the president said he did not "care" what Gabbard had to say in previous testimony, arguing he believes Iran is close to building a nuke. "You've always said that you don't believe Iran should be able to have a nuclear weapon," a reporter asked Trump while aboard Air Force One on Monday. "But how close do you personally think that they were to getting one?" "Very close," Trump responded. "Because Tulsi Gabbard testified in March that the intelligence community said Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon," the reporter continued. Trump shot back, "I don't care what she said. I think they were very close to having one." When Gabbard appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee in March, she delivered a statement on behalf of the intelligence community that included testimony that Iran was not actively building a nuclear weapon. "Iran's cyber operations and capabilities also present a serious threat to U.S. networks and data," Gabbard told the committee on March 26. The intelligence community "continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003," she said. She did add that "Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons." "Iran will likely continue efforts to counter Israel and press for U.S. military withdrawal from the region by aiding, arming and helping to reconstitute its loose consortium of like-minded terrorist actors, which it refers to as its axis of resistance," she warned. However, as critics picked apart Gabbard's past comments, the White House stressed that Gabbard and Trump are closely aligned on Iran. A White House official told Fox News Digital Tuesday afternoon that Trump and Gabbard are closely aligned and that the distinction being raised between Gabbard's March testimony and Trump's remarks that Iran is "very close" to getting a nuclear weapon is one without a difference. The official noted that Gabbard underscored in her March testimony that Iran had the resources to potentially build a nuclear weapon. Her testimony in March reflected intelligence she received that Iran was not building a weapon at the time but that the country could do so based on the resources it amassed for such an endeavor. Leavitt is the youngest press secretary in U.S. history, assuming the role at age 27. Some liberal critics, such as Joy Behar of "The View," attempted to discount her appointment when she was first tapped by Trump, and she has since emerged as a Trump administration firebrand during her routine White House press briefings. Though Leavitt has overwhelmingly been praised by supporters of the president for her defense of the administration and repeated fiery exchanges with left-wing media outlets during briefings, her tenure has overwhelmingly focused on domestic issues. Leavitt has kept the nation updated on issues such as mass deportation efforts, Trump's ongoing list of executive orders affecting policies from transgender issues to electric vehicles, national tragedies such as the terror attack in Boulder targeting Jewish Americans and Trump's wide-ranging tariff policy that affects foreign nations. Though the administration entered office with a war raging between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the ongoing war in Israel after Hamas attacked the country in 2023, the Israel–Iran conflict provides Leavitt with her first major international crisis that could include U.S. involvement. Leavitt's highly anticipated first press briefing since Israel launched its preemptive strikes is scheduled for Thursday.
