Pete Hegseth on Woke

Pete Hegseth, as Secretary of the newly restored Department of War, has made the eradication of 'woke' ideology a central tenet of his tenure. He declared in a major address that the military was once "the woke department" but proclaimed, "We're done with that shit," signaling an immediate cultural pivot. He argues that the focus on social justice, political correctness, and identity politics has resulted in the promotion of leaders for incorrect reasons, such as race or gender quotas, rather than warfighting merit. Hegseth explicitly targeted concepts like DEI offices, climate change worship, and gender ideology as distractions that made the military less capable and lethal.

His overhaul includes tangible policy shifts aimed at restoring what he considers foundational military values. This involves mandating that physical fitness standards for combat positions return to the "highest male standard only" and initiating a review of education programs at top universities he labeled as "woke breeding grounds of toxic indoctrination." He further sought to overhaul Inspector General and Equal Opportunity processes, claiming they had been weaponized against leaders enforcing true standards. Hegseth positions his cultural fight as necessary for national security, asserting that the military must refocus entirely on warfighting and victory to ensure peace through strength.