The defense secretary’s efforts to block or delay promotions to general or admiral for some officers has raised concerns that he may be targeting them because of race, gender or affiliation with the Biden administration, sources say.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken steps to block or delay promotions for more than a dozen Black and female senior officers across all four branches of the military, some of whom are seen as having been targeted because of their race, gender or perceived affiliation with Biden administration policies or officials, according to nine U.S. officials familiar with the process.

The process within the Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines is structured to ensure the most qualified officers get promoted.

Hegseth’s decision to intervene in the process has raised concerns among some officials within those military branches and the White House, the nine U.S. officials familiar with the situation said.

  • Formfiller
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    42 minutes ago

    To be clear. this is fascism leveling up. This will lead to an escalation of war crimes and an escalation of state sponsored terrorism against civilians in the United States

  • KulunkelBoom@lemmus.org
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    6 hours ago

    A) they won’t obey illegal orders. B) if he gives them raises he won’t be able to afford his next month’s 10 million dollar lobster and prime rib lunches. C) he’s a fucking asshat with no business holding a rifle much less sending Americans to their deaths.

  • minorkeys
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    7 hours ago

    Undoubtedly he is purging resistance to fascist ideology.

  • Jumbie@lemmy.zip
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    11 hours ago

    “Raised concerns.”

    Just report it for what it is instead of feigning concern, you compromised friggin’ journalists.

    • ynthrepic
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      11 hours ago

      It’s the most infuriating thing. Cowardice in the name of “neutrality”. Spoon raises concerns it may be a spoon.

    • Ledivin
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      11 hours ago

      Once again showing that the armchair experts on social media know literally nothing about the law.

      Reporting it definitively as racism would leave the news source open for an extremely easy-to-lose case of libel in the middle of an extremely litigious administration surrounded by extremely right-wing judges.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        8 hours ago

        Reporting it definitively as racism would leave the news source open for an extremely easy-to-lose case of libel

        Nope.

        First of all, the overly timid journalist mentions several probable reasons other than racism, some of which are MUCH easier to prove definitively than racism.

        Second, it’s not libel unless it’s both untrue and intended to injure.

        Third, the burden of proof would be on a prosecution likely appointed by the current administration and thus utterly incompetent.

        Seems like YOU’RE the confidently wrong armchair expert here.

  • paraphrand
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    9 hours ago

    Don’t they like meritocracy?

    Edit: oh wait, I spelt that wrong. It should have been “hypocrisy”.

  • CharlesDarwin
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    11 hours ago

    The thing here is that Hegseth has no qualifications for the job he has.

    PEDOnald supporters still be going on about “meritocracy”, LOL.

    • ultranaut
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      7 hours ago

      Not so fun fact about Hegseth, he never washes his hands because he thinks it makes you weak. The man walks around with shit covered hands everywhere he goes.

    • dhork
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      10 hours ago

      What do you mean, he has no qualifications? Haven’t you seen those bad-ass Nationalist Christian tattoos?

      He is a bona-fide, 100% qualified NatC…

  • Eat_Your_Paisley
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    10 hours ago

    Petey doesn’t want senior officers that are brown or women.

    Petey needs to go to jail after he’s fired, this Iran clusterfuck is on him.

  • billwashere
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    7 hours ago

    Well because he’s a meddling racist alcoholic douchebag.

  • zd9
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    11 hours ago

    I’m so excited to see in sitting in prison in about 4 years