1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

Hegseth Lacks Military Integrity Remove him. I am voting constituent calling you to ACTION regarding the conduct of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The Secretary has departed from the merit-based traditions of the United States Armed Forces and implemented a pattern of racially and ideologically motivated discrimination that threatens our national security. Confirmed by multiple U.S. officials, Secretary Hegseth has taken the unprecedented step of personally intervening to block the promotions of four highly qualified Army officers—two Black and two female soldiers—who were on track to become one-star generals. This interference in the non-partisan promotion process is not merely an administrative anomaly; it is part of a broader weeding out of senior officers who are not white men. The Secretary’s previous rhetoric and documented history display unfitness for this office: Targeting Diversity: The removal of Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown and Adm. Lisa Franchetti without explanation follows years of public statements by Hegseth disparaging diversity and questioning the merit of leaders of color. Extremist Ties: Secretary Hegseth’s tattoos associate him with white supremacist and Christian nationalist movements, which led to his removal from the National Guard detail for the 2021 presidential inauguration due to extremist ties. Erosion of Meritocracy: Blocking promotions based on race, gender, or perceived political loyalty rather than service record is illegal. A Secretary of Defense must adhere to the rule of law. Pete Hegseth’s current actions indicate he is using the Department of Defense to advance an agenda rooted in exclusion and ideological purity. Exercise your oversight authority to investigate these promotion blocks, hold public hearings, and call for the immediate removal of Pete Hegseth from his position.