Pentagon to Cut Ties with Ivy League Universities Accused of 'Wokeness'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says top schools have become 'factories of anti-American resentment'

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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The Pentagon has announced it will forbid members of the military from attending Columbia, Yale, Brown, and other Ivy League universities starting next school year. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused these institutions of becoming 'factories of anti-American resentment' and 'breeding grounds of toxic indoctrination' that undermine military values.

Why it matters

This move is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to target universities it sees as promoting 'woke' ideology. The Pentagon's decision to cut ties with these prestigious schools could have significant implications for military education and the relationship between the armed forces and academia.

The details

Hegseth announced the new policy in a video posted to social media, saying the universities have 'replaced the study of victory and pragmatic realism with the promotion of wokeness and weakness.' The ban applies to Columbia, Princeton, Brown, Yale, MIT, and 'many others,' though the full list was not specified. The Pentagon previously cut ties with Harvard University three weeks ago.

  • On February 27, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the new policy in a social media video.
  • The ban on military personnel attending these universities will go into effect starting the next school year.

The players

Pete Hegseth

The current U.S. Secretary of Defense, who has accused Ivy League universities of becoming 'factories of anti-American resentment' and promoting 'wokeness and weakness'.

Harvard University

One of the Ivy League universities that the Pentagon had previously cut ties with three weeks prior to this announcement.

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What they’re saying

“For decades, the Ivy League and similar institutions have gorged themselves on a trust fund of American taxpayer dollars, only to become factories of anti-American resentment and military disdain.”

— Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense (Social media)

What’s next

It remains unclear exactly how broadly the Pentagon's ban on military personnel attending these universities will be applied. There are still questions about whether it will impact programs like ROTC as well as graduate-level education.

The takeaway

This decision reflects the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and elite universities, which it sees as promoting a 'woke' agenda that undermines traditional American values. The move could have significant ramifications for military education and the relationship between the armed forces and academia.