WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow the Pentagon to enforce its ban on troops who suffer from gender dysphoria or have undergone transgender medical treatments.
The Trump administration&#8217;s appeal comes after two federal judges blocked the administration from removing troops who identify as transgender, ruling that the Trump order is probably unconstitutional and motivated by discrimination rather than negative impacts on the military. But the Defense Department&#8217;s policy is based on findings during the first Trump administration showing that individuals with gender dysphoria impact &#8220;military effectiveness and lethality,&#8221; as the appeal states.
Service members who undergo so-called transition surgeries can take a minimum of 12 months to recover, often using heavy narcotics, and during this time they are not physically capable of meeting military readiness requirements, the White House has previously said. They also require consistent medical care, which is not conducive to deployment or other readiness requirements.
Solicitor General John Sauer argues in the Trump administration appeal that, &#8220;absent a stay,&#8221; the court&#8217;s injunction will remain in place &#8220;for the duration of further review in the Ninth Circuit and in this Court—a period far too long for the military to be forced to maintain a policy that it has determined, in its professional judgment, to be contrary to military readiness and the Nation’s interests.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_911903" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-asks-scotus-to-uphold-his-ban-on-transgender-troops-in-the-military/us-attacks-9-11-anniversary-3" rel="attachment wp-att-911903"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-911903" class="wp-image-911903 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1167378905-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1167378905-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1167378905-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1167378905-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1167378905.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>(Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;The government therefore respectfully requests a stay of the injunction in its entirety pending further review,&#8221; he added. &#8220;At minimum, this Court should stay the injunction’s universal scope, so that the injunction blocks the implementation of the 2025 policy only as to the eight individual respondents in this case.&#8221;
The Supreme Court justices <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/04/trump-asks-supreme-court-to-allow-ban-on-transgender-service-members-from-the-military/">instructed</a> lawyers representing the Trump administration&#8217;s challengers to file their responses by Thursday, May 1, at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Trump’s executive order on transgender troops not only bans military members from using taxpayer dollars to get gender transition surgeries, but also prohibits males from using or sharing sleeping, changing, or bathing facilities that are designated for females. The order rescinds President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14004, which allowed for all sorts of accommodations of gender identity in the military, and opened wide the door for gender ideology and taxpayer-funded transgender interventions within military ranks.
He also issued an executive order &#8220;Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,&#8221; which banned individuals with gender dysphoria from entering the military. Gender dysphoria is a psychological condition wherein a man might believe he is actually a woman, or a woman might believe she is actually a man.
&#8220;Beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual&#8217;s sex conflicts with a soldier&#8217;s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one&#8217;s personal life,&#8221; the order said. &#8220;A man&#8217;s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.&#8221;
The move stems from a desire to prioritize military readiness and lethality — both of which are seriously impacted by military members who seek transgender surgical procedures. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been vocal about his desire to reform the department towards these priorities, rather than ideology or politics.
“During the Biden Administration, the Department of Defense allowed gender insanity to pervade our military organizations, family, and culture,” a White House document on the executive order states. “This included not only permitting the military to increase the number of individuals not physically or mentally prepared to serve, but also ordering the Department of Defense to pay for servicemembers’ transition surgeries, as well as those of their dependent children—at a cost of millions of dollars to the American taxpayer.”
It continues: “Fitness, health, welfare, and readiness standards must ensure that our military members are able to deploy, fight, and win. On the battlefield there can be no accommodation for anything less than resilience, strength, and ability to withstand extraordinary physical demands.”

Joined By Elon Musk, Trump Holds First Cabinet Meeting Of His Second Term

Trump Asks SCOTUS To Uphold His Ban On Transgender Troops In The Military

Donald Trump

Pentagon

Transgender

The Defense Department and the White House, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth himself, fired back over an anonymously-sourced New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/20/us/politics/hegseth-yemen-attack-second-signal-chat.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">piece</a> claiming that Hegseth had shared &#8220;highly sensitive military information&#8221; in a second Signal chat group that allegedly included his wife, his brother, and his attorney.
The story comes on the heels of a previous incident in which The Atlantic&#8217;s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to a different Signal chat group — and an attack on Houthi terrorists was described in some detail before Goldberg went public with both his presence in the group and the contents of the conversation. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz ultimately took responsibility for Goldberg&#8217;s accidental inclusion, which may have been linked to his iPhone&#8217;s algorithm that populates &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/so-damn-dangerous-signal-chat-breach-linked-to-automated-suggestion-feature-on-iphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">automated contact suggestions</a>.&#8221;
The second chat group, according to the NYT, was nicknamed &#8220;Defense | Team Huddle&#8221; and was accessed via Hegseth&#8217;s personal phone rather than his government phone. Citing several anonymous sources, the NYT stated that the private Signal chat had included at least two of three DOD officials who were recently relieved of duty amid an investigation into &#8220;unauthorized disclosures&#8221; to media. The article offered no evidence suggesting that Hegseth had ever discussed anything of a sensitive nature in that group.
On Sunday, Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell released a statement responding to the story:
<blockquote>Another day, another old story—back from the dead. The Trump-hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump’s agenda. This time, the New York Times — and all other Fake News that repeat their garbage — are enthusiastically taking the grievances of disgruntled former employees as the sole sources for their article. They relied only on the words of people who were fired this week and appear to have a motive to sabotage the Secretary and the President&#8217;s agenda. There was no classified information in any Signal chat, no matter how many ways they try to write the story. What is true is that the Office of the Secretary of Defense is continuing to become stronger and more efficient in executing President Trump&#8217;s agenda. We’ve already achieved so much for the American warfighter, and will never back down.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/20/25
STATEMENT:
Another day, another old story—back from the dead. The Trump-hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump’s agenda. This time, the New York Times — and all other Fake News that repeat their…
&mdash; Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellATSD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanParnellATSD/status/1914135704101175583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hegseth, who was present at Monday&#8217;s Easter Egg Roll at the White House, responded directly to the story as well:
<blockquote>What a big surprise that a bunch of leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax.
This is what the media does. They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations. Not going to work with me.
We&#8217;re changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of warfighters — and anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees on old news doesn&#8217;t matter.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Pete Hegseth shuts down the fake news media:
&quot;What a big surprise that a bunch of leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out from the same media that peddled the Russia hoax.&quot;
&quot;This is what the media does. They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former… <a href="https://t.co/H4AmR88BJR">pic.twitter.com/H4AmR88BJR</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1914322833506697713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also defended Hegseth during a Monday morning appearance on &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends,&#8221; telling anchor Brian Kilmeade that the president was standing behind Hegseth, &#8220;who is doing a phenomenal job leading the Pentagon.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: &quot;The President stands strongly behind <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteHegseth</a>, who is doing a phenomenal job leading the Pentagon.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/8exZQSJr5a">pic.twitter.com/8exZQSJr5a</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1914299932854407660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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National Public Radio (NPR) followed up the NYT report with an anonymously-sourced story claiming that the White House was already looking for a replacement for Hegseth — a claim that Leavitt immediately disputed.
&#8220;This @NPR story is total FAKE NEWS based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about. As the President said this morning, he stands strongly behind @SecDef.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/NPR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NPR</a>⁩ story is total FAKE NEWS based on one anonymous source who clearly has no idea what they are talking about. 
As the President said this morning, he stands strongly behind ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a>⁩. <a href="https://t.co/5Npig8968v">https://t.co/5Npig8968v</a>
&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1914371752685076757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Defense Department And White House Fire Back After Latest Hegseth Hit Piece

Department of Defense

Karoline Leavitt

Media

Military

Pete Hegseth

Politics

White House

A second Defense Department official — this time the Pentagon&#8217;s Deputy Chief of Staff — has been relieved of duty and placed on administrative leave amid a probe into &#8220;unauthorized disclosures&#8221; regarding key figures within the department.
Darin Selnick, DoD deputy chief of staff, was <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/15/caldwell-pentagon-leaks-00291735" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly suspended</a> and escorted from the Pentagon just one day after Dan Caldwell, an aide to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was also removed from the building under suspicion that he was involved in leaking information. Both Selnick and Caldwell have previously worked with Hegseth at a veterans group the defense secretary headed, Concerned Veterans for America.
An <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2025/Mar/21/2003674265/-1/-1/0/EFFORTS-TO-COMBAT-UNAUTHORIZED-DISCLOSURES-OSD002809-25-RES-FINAL.PDF">investigation</a> into the matter was announced last month, citing &#8220;recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information,&#8221; which, according to reports, included revealing details regarding billionaire Elon Musk&#8217;s visit to the Pentagon and the defense secretary&#8217;s recent trip to Panama.
DOD Chief of Staff Joe Kasper said when the probe was announced, &#8220;The use of polygraphs in the execution of this investigation will be in accordance with applicable law and policy. This investigation will commence immediately and culminate in a report to the Secretary of Defense.&#8221;
The Defense Department is not alone in its struggle to uncover those who would leak unauthorized information.
Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseth-adviser-placed-on-leave-amid-defense-department-leak-probe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kristi Noem</a> announced a similar probe in March, with DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin telling <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/noems-homeland-security-unapologetic-about-using-lie-detector-test-suspected-intel-leakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a> that the Department of Homeland Security would also utilize polygraph testing in its effort to root out any potential leakers.
&#8220;Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security. We are agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment or status as a career civil servant – we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,&#8221; McLaughlin said at the time.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also vowed to hold leakers accountable, saying, &#8220;Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people and will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability. That ends now.&#8221;

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Second Hegseth Advisor Booted From Pentagon Amid Leak Probe

Dan Caldwell, adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave pending an ongoing investigation into leaks in the Defense Department, The Daily Wire has confirmed.
An official within the Defense Department confirmed the report to Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan on Tuesday.
&#8220;NEW: Defense Department official confirms to @realDailyWire that Dan Caldwell, a top advisor to Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave related to an investigation into DOD leaks,&#8221; Olohan shared via X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW: Defense Department official confirms to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> that Dan Caldwell, a top advisor to Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on leave related to an investigation into DOD leaks.
&mdash; Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1912233949281071239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/top-hegseth-advisor-dan-caldwell-put-leave-pentagon-leak-probe-2025-04-15/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a> reported earlier in the day that Caldwell had been escorted out of the Pentagon over what an anonymous source had described as &#8220;an unauthorized disclosure.&#8221;
Hegseth has not yet commented publicly on the situation, and no reports have surfaced yet regarding what the &#8220;unauthorized disclosure&#8221; may have been.
Officials across President Donald Trump&#8217;s first presidential administration were plagued with leaks, prompting several of those with key positions in the current administration to strike proactive poses regarding those who might leak information to media outlets.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has employed polygraph testing in her efforts to root out suspected leakers within the DHS. Tricia McLaughlin, DHS&#8217; assistant secretary for public affairs, issued a statement to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/noems-homeland-security-unapologetic-about-using-lie-detector-test-suspected-intel-leakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a> on that initiative, saying, &#8220;Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS is unapologetic about its efforts to root out leakers that undermine national security. We are agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment or status as a career civil servant – we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.&#8221;
Director of National Intelligence <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gabbard-aggressively-pursuing-intel-community-leaks-to-legacy-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tulsi Gabbard</a> has also taken a hardline stance on potential leakers in the intelligence community, saying in a statement, &#8220;Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people and will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability. That ends now. We know of and are aggressively pursuing recent leakers from within the Intelligence Community and will hold them accountable.&#8221;

Hegseth Adviser Placed On Leave Amid Defense Department Leak Probe

Executive

Trump Administration

U.S.

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon&#8217;s independent watchdog announced on Thursday that it is reviewing how Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth used Signal in a group chat with top National Security officials as they discussed military strikes against the Houthis.
Acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2025/Apr/03/2003681607/-1/-1/1/EVALUATION%20OF%20THE%20SECRETARY%20OF%20DEFENSE'S%20REPORTED%20USE%20OF%20A%20COMMERCIALLY%20AVAILABLE%20MESSAGE%20APPLICATION%20FOR%20OFFICER%20BUSINESS%20(PROJECT%20NO.%20D2025-DEV0PC-0095.000).PDF">shared the news in a letter to Hegseth</a>, noting that the evaluation is in response to a request from the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who asked for an investigation into Hegseth&#8217;s use of &#8220;an unclassified commercially available messaging application,&#8221; as Stebbins wrote.
&#8220;The objective of this evaluation is to determine the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business,&#8221; Stebbins said in the letter. &#8220;Additionally, we will review compliance with classification and records retention requirements. We may revise the objective as the evaluation proceeds.&#8221;
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm91owy4k00063b6m21cns9v1@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true" data-analytics-observe="off">Both the White House and Hegseth himself have maintained that the information shared in the Signal chat was not classified.
In mid March, The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, a journalist known for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-acknowledges-journalist-was-inadvertently-added-to-high-level-chat-on-houthi-strikes">his critical pieces</a> on Trump, revealed that he had been inadvertently added to a national security group chat in which top Trump officials discussed airstrikes in Yemen. That chat included Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and other members of Trump’s inner circle on March 15, as the national security team deliberated launching airstrikes on the Houthis.
The White House confirmed shortly after Goldberg published his story that the chat appeared to be authentic, and has since said that no classified information was shared. Hegseth has also pushed back against the notion that “war plans” were shared, and the entire Trump team has aggressively messaged that The Atlantic is a liberal, anti-Trump publication — and that Goldberg himself is a hack.
<div id="attachment_902761" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-ig-to-investigate-pete-hegseths-signal-use/president-trump-meets-with-nato-secretary-general-mark-rutte-in-the-oval-office-of-the-white-house-3" rel="attachment wp-att-902761"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-902761" class="wp-image-902761 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2204329121-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2204329121-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2204329121-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2204329121-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2204329121.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)</div>
The evaluation will be performed in accordance with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency &#8220;Quality Standards for Inspection and Evaluation,&#8221; Stebbins said, and it will be performed in Washington, D.C., and at the U.S. Central Command Headquarters in Tampa, Florida — though they may identify additional locations during the evaluation.
&#8220;We request that you designate two points of contact for this evaluation within 5 days of this memorandum,&#8221; the letter states. &#8220;One point of contact should be a Government employee—a GS-15, pay band equivalent, or military equivalent—who is knowledgeable of the subject. The second point of contact should be a member of the Senior Executive Service or a General/Flag Officer who is familiar with the subject and could serve as a point of engagement with DoD Office of Inspector General senior leaders, if necessary.&#8221;

President Trump Holds “Make America Wealthy Again Event” In White House Rose Garden

Pentagon IG To Investigate Pete Hegseth’s Signal Use

President Donald Trump blasted The New York Times on Thursday, refuting a story published by the newspaper that claimed Trump&#8217;s adviser Elon Musk will receive a Pentagon briefing on U.S. military plans should a war break out with China.
In a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/us/politics/musk-pentagon-briefing-china-war-plan.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published on Thursday, the Times — citing &#8220;two U.S. officials&#8221; — wrote that Musk would be briefed on the U.S. military&#8217;s top-secret strategy in preparation for a potential war with China. The paper cited two additional anonymous sources who said the briefing would be &#8220;China focused&#8221; and held at the Pentagon on Friday, but the sources did not provide any more details.
In a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114198186465713235" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Thursday night, Trump said the report is &#8220;completely untrue,&#8221; adding that &#8220;China will not even be mentioned or discussed.&#8221; On Friday morning, Trump again addressed the Times&#8217; report, <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114200175082806882" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> that Musk &#8220;is NOT BEING BRIEFED ON ANYTHING CHINA BY THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR!!!&#8221;
&#8220;Their FAKE concept for this story is that because Elon does some business in China, that he is very conflicted and would immediately go to top Chinese officials and &#8216;spill the beans,'&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;RATINGS CHALLENGED FAKE NEWS CNN immediately picked up on this absolutely ridiculous and false story, which is probably libelous, and went heavy with it. Fortunately, nobody was watching!&#8221;
Musk, who has been Trump&#8217;s right-hand-man throughout the first two months of his second term, also slammed The New York Times on his social media platform, X, and said that those at the Pentagon &#8220;leaking maliciously false information to NYT &#8230; will be found.&#8221;
&#8220;The New York Times is pure propaganda. Also, I look forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to NYT,&#8221; Musk wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The New York Times is pure propaganda.
Also, I look forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to NYT. 
They will be found. <a href="https://t.co/xANvLMOH5j">pic.twitter.com/xANvLMOH5j</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1902977556329931052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In its report, the Times raised concerns that Musk, through his company Tesla, &#8220;has extensive financial interests in China.&#8221; Over the years, the CEO has developed business relationships with Chinese government officials as China <a href="https://insideevs.com/news/715427/tesla-ev-production-shanghai-vs-global/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">manufactures</a> hundreds of thousands of Teslas each year. China has also become a growing market for Tesla as the electric vehicle company&#8217;s sales in China hit an all-time high in 2024, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/teslas-china-sales-rise-record-high-83000-december-2025-01-03/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>.
The Wall Street Journal also published a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/musk-to-receive-top-secret-briefing-on-u-s-war-plans-for-china-922eafdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> on Thursday night citing U.S. government sources who said, &#8220;Musk is expected to be briefed on how U.S. forces would fight in a potential China war, including maritime tactics and targeting plans.&#8221;
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/PeteHegseth/status/1902911311102820635" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> that Musk would be at the Pentagon on Friday but said the meeting &#8220;is NOT a meeting about &#8216;top secret China war plans.'&#8221; Rather, Musk will be meeting with Defense officials to discuss &#8220;innovation, efficiencies &amp; smarter production,&#8221; according to Hegseth — areas Musk has focused on improving in numerous government departments. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell added that the Times&#8217; report is &#8220;brazenly &amp; maliciously wrong.&#8221;
&#8220;Elon Musk is a patriot,&#8221; Parnell said. &#8220;We are proud to have him at the Pentagon.&#8221;

Donald Trump, Elon Musk

Trump Refutes NYT Report Claiming Musk Will Receive Pentagon Briefing On China

China

Elon Musk

New York Times

President Donald Trump fired Air Force Gen. Charles Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday and tapped retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to replace him.
Trump announced the move on social media, ousting Brown, who was nominated by former President Joe Biden, after 16 months in the role.
“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump said.
In the same post, Trump announced his nomination of Cane, who the president credited as being “instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate.” Trump added that Biden “passed over” the “highly qualified and respected” Cane for chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
“But not anymore!” Trump said. “Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military.”
Trump added that Defense Secretary Hegseth would “solicit nominations for five additional high level positions,” signaling more senior positions to turn over, as well.
After Trump’s post on social media, Hegseth made a <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4074482/secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-statement-on-general-officer-nominations/">statement</a> from the Pentagon that he is looking for replacements for Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti and Air Force Vice Chief Gen. James Slife.
“I am also requesting nominations for the positions of Chief of Naval Operations and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff. The incumbents in these important roles, Admiral Lisa Franchetti and General James Slife, respectively, have had distinguished careers. We thank them for their service and dedication to our country,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth had previously said in a podcast appearance in November that Brown should be fired because of his focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the military. Hegseth has been adamant that social justice and engineering practices in the military corrode the service’s core function of warfighting.
Brown and Franchetti had, in part, been celebrated in their elevations to their former positions because of their identities. Brown was the second black person to chair the Joint Chiefs; Franchetti was the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/21/cq-brown-trump-fired-joint-chiefs-general-00205593">Politico</a>.

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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is reportedly considering firing more than half a dozen generals and flag officers, triggering speculation of a Pentagon shake-up focused on rooting out those &#8220;involved in any of the DEI woke s***&#8221; that permeated the U.S. military during the Biden administration.
According to CNN, rumors of pending dismissals have circulated for several weeks, but a list containing the names of officers who could be let go was recently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/20/politics/hegseth-could-fire-senior-generals-admirals">sent</a> to Republican lawmakers. Several high-profile generals, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, could be on the chopping block.
In an appearance on the &#8220;Shawn Ryan Show&#8221; before his nomination, Hegseth said of Gen. Brown: &#8220;First of all, you&#8217;ve got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs &#8230; But any general &#8230; that was involved in any of the DEI woke s*** has got to go &#8230; That&#8217;s the only litmus test we care about.&#8221;
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Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, is also reportedly on the list, which could leave no female four-star officers in the U.S. military if she is removed. In his 2024 book, Hegseth wrote, &#8220;If naval operations suffer, at least we can hold our heads high &#8230; Because at least we have another first! The first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — hooray.&#8221;
According to individuals familiar with Hegseth&#8217;s plan, the list presented on Capitol Hill outlines multiple potential outcomes for senior positions, including possible promotions. Gen. Samuel Paparo of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and Gen. Erik Kurilla of U.S. Central Command have each been discussed as potential replacements for Gen. Brown if a shakeup at the top occurs, though no choice has been finalized.
Meanwhile, a small contingent from the Department of Government Efficiency project has started meeting with Pentagon representatives to manage office space and coordinate budget assessments. Military planners are expected to release updated figures on proposed funding changes in the coming days as part of the ongoing discussions over reshaping defense structures.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Poland

Hegseth Considering Removal Of Top Generals Involved In ‘DEI Woke S***’: Report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Pentagon to find $50 billion to redirect from &#8220;woke programs&#8221; to President Donald Trump’s top priorities within the department.
Robert Salesses, currently performing the duties of deputy secretary of defense, announced Hegseth’s order in a statement on Wednesday. Salesses said the reallocation was part of the Trump administration’s “peace through strength” strategy and would come from “woke programs.”
“Secretary Hegseth has directed a review to identify offsets from the Biden Administration&#8217;s FY26 budget that could be realigned from low-impact and low-priority Biden-legacy programs to align with President Trump&#8217;s America First priorities for our national defense,” Salesses <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4071371/statement-by-performing-the-duties-of-deputy-secretary-of-defense-robert-g-sale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
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“Through our budgets, the Department of Defense will once again resource warfighting and cease unnecessary spending that set our military back under the previous administration, including through so-called ‘climate change’ and other woke programs, as well as excessive bureaucracy. The time for preparation is over – we must act swiftly to deter current and impending threats and make the best use of taxpayers&#8217; dollars in doing so,” he added.
The $50 billion target represents about 8% of the Pentagon’s Biden-era budget for fiscal year 2026.
The move is part of a larger effort within the Trump administration to audit and reorient the federal bureaucracy toward Trump’s agenda. The effort is led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project and aims to cut waste, fraud, and abuse while shrinking the size and scope of the federal government.
Hegseth previously <a href="https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1891261525958311965" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he would welcome DOGE and tech titan Elon Musk, who the administration <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/18/elon-musk-doge-white-house/79070607007/">has said</a> is overseeing the project, to the Department of Defense to help discover and cut fraud and waste.
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&#8220;We welcome DOGE to the Pentagon, and I hope to welcome Elon to the Pentagon very soon, and his team working in collaboration with us. There are waste, redundancies, and headcounts in headquarters that need to be addressed. There’s just no doubt,” Hegseth said.
“Look at a lot of the climate programs that have been pursued at the Defense Department. The Defense Department is not in the business of climate change, solving the global thermostat. We’re in the business of deterring and winning wars, so things like that we want to look for and find efficiencies,” he continued. “There’s plenty of places where we want the keen eye of DOGE.”
He stressed that changes to the Pentagon’s budget would not impact military readiness, however.
“We’re not going to do things that are to the detriment of American operational or tactical capabilities. President Trump is committed to delivering the best possible military,” he said.

Hegseth Tells Pentagon To Shift $50B From ‘Woke Programs’ To Trump Priorities

Hegseth Directs Pentagon To Cut $50B Of ‘Woke Programs’ For Trump’s Agenda

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Washington D.C.

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Defense</a> ended a Biden-era policy that paid for women in the military to travel for abortions if they were in a state with pro-life laws in place.
The DOD <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2025/Jan/29/2003634768/-1/-1/0/UTD_FOR_MAP_04-25%28S%29_REMOVE-TRAVEL-FOR-NON-COVERED-REPRODUCTIVE-HEALTH-CARE-SERVICES.PDF">rescinded</a> the abortion travel policy on Wednesday, citing an executive order from President Donald Trump to make sure there was no taxpayer funding for abortion. The Biden policy paid for the travel, lodging, and food expenses of a woman seeking an abortion if she was stationed in a state banning abortion.
The DOD has not disclosed how frequently the policy was used, though it was in place for over two years and enacted shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who put a hold on military promotions en masse for nearly a year due to the policy, celebrated the news.
&#8220;For the past two years, I have been sounding the alarm about the Pentagon&#8217;s illegal and immoral practice of using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions,” he said. “I took a lot of heat when I stood alone for nearly a year in holding senior Pentagon promotions over this —  but as of today, it was all worth it. The Biden administration treated taxpayers like their own personal Piggy bank that they could use to bankroll their woke agenda.”
“Under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth&#8217;s leadership, the Pentagon will once again be focused on lethality, not pushing a political agenda,” he added. “Thank God common sense has been restored to our military under President Trump&#8217;s leadership.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth thanked Tuberville on social media for his efforts to fight the policy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you for your leadership, Coach. <a href="https://t.co/hoEMpsVd0j">https://t.co/hoEMpsVd0j</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1885376017943900425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The decision was widely criticized by Democrats, including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who called the move from the Pentagon &#8220;abhorrent.&#8221; 
“It runs contrary to a core goal of the Department of Defense — to ensure the health and well-being of all our service members so that our force remains ready at all times to protect Americans and keep this nation safe,” she said.
The announcement came after Trump signed an executive order last week mandating compliance with the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer dollars from going to abortion, saying that the Biden “administration disregarded this established, commonsense policy by embedding forced taxpayer funding of elective abortions in a wide variety of Federal programs.”

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Defense Department Ends Biden Policy Paying For Service Members’ Abortion Travel

Abortion

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Tommy Tuberville

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Defense</a> (DoD) announced Wednesday that it is scrapping diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies implemented by the Biden administration because they are &#8220;incompatible&#8221; with the mission of the U.S. military.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that President Donald Trump&#8217;s goal is to return the organization to being focused on winning wars and nothing else.
&#8220;Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEl) policies, as defined in the January 27, 2025, Executive Order, are incompatible with the values of DoD,&#8221; Hegseth wrote. &#8220;The DoD will strive to provide merit-based, color-blind, equal opportunities to Service members but will not guarantee or strive for equal outcomes.&#8221;
The DoD was tasked with establishing a new task force, dubbed &#8220;Restoring America&#8217;s Fighting Force Task Force,&#8221; that will oversee the Pentagon&#8217;s efforts to find and abolish DEI offices and divisive DEI policies that &#8220;subvert meritocracy, perpetuate unconstitutional discrimination, and promote radical ideologies related to systemic racism and gender fluidity.&#8221;
Hegseth outlined the following changes that will be made:
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Promotion and Selection Reform. The DoD will not consider sex, race, or ethnicity when considering individuals for promotion, command, or special duty. DoD Components and the Secretaries of Military Departments, may designate categories of assignment that require exceptions to this policy due to clear operational need.</li>
<li>Elimination of Quotas, Objectives, and Goals. No DoD Component will establish sex-based, race-based, or ethnicity-based goals for organizational composition, academic admission, or career fields.</li>
<li>Prohibition on Instruction on Critical Race Theory, Gender Ideology, and DEI. No element within DoD will provide instruction on Critical Race Theory (CRT), DEl, or gender ideology as part of a curriculum or for purposes of workforce training.</li>
<li>Instruction to Promote a Lethal Force. The U.S. Service Academies and other defense academic institutions shall teach that America and its founding documents remain the most powerful force for good in human history.</li>
<li>Boards and Councils. All advisory boards, councils, and working groups will cease operations related to gender ideology, DEI, and CRT.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
The secretary said that the strength of the U.S. military comes from its unity and shared purpose.
&#8220;We will focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Providing Service members an equal opportunity to excel will help us remain the strongest and most lethal fighting force the world has ever known.&#8221;

Pete Hegseth 12/03

Pentagon Guts DEI Programs From U.S. Military

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly told retired Gen. Mark Milley that he is revoking his personal security detail and security clearance following allegations he undermined the chain of command during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Multiple senior administration officials <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-pulling-gen-milleys-security-detail-clearance-panel-may-face-demotion-retirement">confirmed</a> to Fox News that the Pentagon will remove a second portrait of Milley, meaning his image will no longer be displayed in the building. They also said a newly convened review board will determine whether enough evidence exists to strip him of a star for alleged attempts to “undermine the chain of command.”
One official reportedly said, “There is a new era of accountability in the Defense Department under President Trump’s leadership—and that’s exactly what the American people expect.” The first portrait of Milley was taken down on Inauguration Day last week, just after President Joe Biden granted him a preemptive pardon in one of his final actions in office.
Gen. Milley had been afforded added protective measures after threats were leveled by Iran following the 2020 U.S. drone strike targeting General Qasem Soleimani. The extra security detail was also extended to other top officials, such as John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, following threats of Iranian retaliation. Shortly after President Trump’s inauguration, the security details for these officials were revoked, with many GOP lawmakers expressing concern over Trump’s decision.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated that he wished the president would “revisit” the decision affecting John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, and Brian Hook, who served in high-profile national security roles and likely still had legitimate safety concerns.
In addition to serving as the Army’s chief of staff from 2015 to 2019, Milley was still on active duty as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when he reportedly conveyed private misgivings about President Trump in a March 6, 2023, conversation. According to a newly published book titled &#8220;War,&#8221; Gen. Milley told author Bob Woodward that he believed the then-commander-in-chief was “fascist to the core!”
Another work, &#8220;Peril,&#8221; by Woodward and Robert Costa, separately claimed that Milley called his Chinese counterpart twice during Trump’s first term to help maintain calm between the two nuclear-armed nations.

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