Defense Secretary Blocks Promotions of 4 Army Officers

Two women and two Black officers were denied one-star general promotions in an unusual move.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 9:47pm

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the rare decision to block the promotion of four Army officers to the rank of one-star general. Two of the officers are women and two are Black, which has raised concerns among senior military officials about potential bias in the promotion process.

Why it matters

Hegseth's intervention in the promotion process is highly unusual, as defense secretaries typically do not get involved in such relatively minor personnel decisions. The move has prompted accusations that the promotions are being denied based on the race and gender of the officers, rather than merit, raising concerns about the politicization of the military's senior ranks.

The details

The original list of about three dozen names had been vetted and backed by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, who reportedly refused to pull the four names. Hegseth ultimately crossed out the names himself, even as Pentagon lawyers debated whether he has the authority to edit the list rather than accept or reject it in full. A few Black and female officers remain on the list, but it is dominated by white men. The move comes amid Hegseth's broader effort to roll back diversity-focused initiatives and reshape the senior ranks.

  • The promotion list was originally vetted and backed by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll.

The players

Pete Hegseth

The current U.S. Secretary of Defense who blocked the promotions of four Army officers to one-star general.

Daniel Driscoll

The Army Secretary who reportedly refused to pull the four names from the promotion list that Hegseth ultimately crossed out.

Ricky Buria

The chief of staff to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who reportedly criticized Army Secretary Driscoll over the promotion of a Black female officer.

Maj. Gen. Antoinette R. Gant

A Black female officer who was promoted to commander of the Military District of Washington, despite criticism from Hegseth's chief of staff.

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What they’re saying

“The president is not a racist or sexist.”

— Daniel P. Driscoll, Army Secretary

What’s next

The White House and Senate must still sign off on the final promotion list.

The takeaway

Hegseth's intervention in the military promotion process raises concerns about the politicization of senior leadership positions and potential bias against women and minority officers, despite the military's stated commitment to diversity and merit-based advancement.