US defense secretary reportedly removes four officers from one-star promotion list

Insights

• The New York Times reports Pete Hegseth asked army leaders to remove four officers and then removed their names himself after they refused.
• The four officers are reportedly two women and two Black men considered for promotion to one-star general.
• Pentagon policy says the defense secretary should approve or reject the entire promotion list, not edit individual names, to avoid politicizing the officer corps.
• The revised list is under White House review before possible Senate confirmation and names are normally confidential until Senate approval.
• Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell and Hegseth chief of staff Ricky Buria called the New York Times report false.
• Hegseth has publicly campaigned against diversity initiatives and has previously reassigned or dismissed several senior female officers.
• Similar allegations of political interference in promotions have been reported before, including an account about a Black female officer that officials have denied.