‘DEI is dead at DOD’: Hegseth vows to restore warrior ethos in US military under Trump’s orders

At the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared, ‘DEI is dead at DOD,’ pledging to restore the U.S. military's ‘warrior ethos.’ Recalling President Trump’s directive to ‘get the military back to basics,’ Hegseth criticised previous administrations for prioritizing ideology and social justice over readiness and lethality. He emphasised merit-based standards and apolitical service, rejecting social experiments in the defense ranks.