Hegseth quips ‘99.9%’ of DEI initiatives are gone from the military under Trump’s watch

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth quipped that the Trump administration has wiped out “99.9%” of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (DEI) from the military during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday. 

President Donald Trump questioned Hegseth about whether the military had eradicated 100% of DEI efforts under his leadership, as Cabinet members shared updates on their own agencies’ attempts to purge such policies. 

“99.9, sir – I’m going to get that last point,” Hegseth said. 

The Trump administration has unveiled multiple initiatives to curb DEI initiatives within the military, including signing an executive order in January barring transgender people from enlisting and serving openly in the military. 

However, two federal judges issued nationwide injunctions in March blocking the Trump administration from enforcing the ban while the lawsuit is pending. In a judgment rendered on March 19, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes of Washington, D.C., said the Trump administration’s order was “soaked in animus,” and discriminated based on a person’s transgender status.

A SECOND FEDERAL JUDGE RULES AGAINST TRUMP’S REMOVAL OF TRANSGENDER TROOPS

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prepares to give a television interview outside the White House, on March 21, 2025. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

“Indeed, the cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed – some risking their lives – to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them,” Reyes wrote in the decision.

Trump signed another executive order in January banning DEI content in K–12 schools that receive federal funds. While military service academies were originally exempt since they are not classified as K–12 institutions, the Pentagon issued instructions to the Naval Academy to remove DEI-related books from its library in March. 

Included in the list of nearly 400 books purged are “How to be Anti-Racist” and “Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” by Ibram X. Kendi, as well as “Our Time is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America,” by former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams.

HERE’S THE LIST OF BOOKS THE NAVAL ACADEMY REMOVED FROM ITS LIBRARY DURING DEI PURGE 

Incoming plebes (freshmen) march into Bancroft Hall after taking part in their oath of office ceremony during Induction Day at the U.S. Naval Academy on June 29, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Kendi is the founding director emeritus of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. He rose to national prominence following the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

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Hegseth has made clear that the Pentagon will not tolerate any DEI initiatives under his watch. 

“The President’s guidance (lawful orders) is clear: No more DEI at @DeptofDefense,” Hegseth said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in January. “The Pentagon will comply, immediately. No exceptions, name-changes, or delays.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.