Defense Secretary Hegseth Blocks Promotions of Black and Female Colonels

Lawmakers and military officials condemn the 'outrageous and wrong' decision as racist and sexist.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 4:28pm

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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has blocked the promotions of two Black and two female colonels to one-star generals, despite the objections of Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. Military officials say Hegseth's chief of staff told Driscoll that President Trump would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at public events, sparking outrage from lawmakers and accusations of racism and sexism.

Why it matters

The decision to deny the promotions of these highly qualified officers based on their race and gender raises serious concerns about discrimination and lack of diversity in the military's top leadership. It also highlights the Trump administration's continued efforts to undermine the advancement of women and people of color in government and the armed forces.

The details

According to the New York Times report, Hegseth's chief of staff, Lt. Col. Ricky Buria, got into a heated exchange with Army Secretary Driscoll last summer over the promotion of another officer, Maj. Gen. Antoinette Gant, to command the Military District of Washington, D.C. Buria allegedly told Driscoll that Trump would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at public events. Driscoll reportedly replied that 'the president is not racist or sexist,' though the president has a long history of racist and sexist statements. The four colonels whose promotions were blocked include two Black officers and two female officers, one of whom was deployed in Afghanistan during the US withdrawal.

  • Last summer, Hegseth's chief of staff objected to the promotion of Maj. Gen. Antoinette Gant.
  • Hegseth has recently blocked the promotions of two Black and two female colonels to one-star generals.

The players

Pete Hegseth

The current US Defense Secretary, appointed by President Trump, who has blocked the promotions of several Black and female military officers.

Daniel Driscoll

The Army Secretary who objected to Hegseth's decision to block the promotions of the four colonels.

Ricky Buria

Hegseth's chief of staff, who allegedly told Driscoll that Trump would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at public events.

Antoinette Gant

A combat veteran of the US invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq who was denied a promotion to command the Military District of Washington, D.C.

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What they’re saying

“The claim that Hegseth's chief of staff told the army secretary Trump would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at military events is racist, sexist, and extremely concerning.”

— Yvette Clarke, Teresa Leger Fernández, Emilia Sykes, Hillary Scholten, and Chrissy Houlahan, Leaders of the Democratic Women's Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus

“If these reports are accurate, Secretary Hegseth's decision to remove four decorated officers from a promotion list after having been selected by their peers for their merit and performance is not only outrageous, it would be illegal.”

— Jack Reed, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

“He says he wants to bring meritocracy back to our military. He says he has our warfighters' backs. But here he is, the most unqualified SecDef in history, denying troops a promotion that their fellow warfighters decided they've earned. Hegseth is a disgrace to our heroes.”

— Tammy Duckworth, US Senator and decorated combat veteran

What’s next

The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to hold hearings to investigate Hegseth's decision and whether it violated any laws or military policies.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of diversity and inclusion in the US military's leadership ranks, as well as the Trump administration's continued efforts to undermine the advancement of women and people of color in government. It raises serious concerns about the potential for discrimination and bias to influence key personnel decisions.