Army households protesting the Protection Division’s anti-DEI push heckled Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth on his arrival at United States European Command headquarters in Germany on Tuesday.
On a go to to the U.S. army’s key European army hub in Stuttgart, Hegseth was booed by round two dozen individuals who stay on the base in an obvious demonstration in opposition to the insurance policies at present being carried out by the Trump administration.
The demonstrators on the brief protest repeatedly chanted “DEI,” apparently in a reference to the current ban Hegseth has positioned on some books in protection division faculties. Hegseth final week ordered the restriction of studying supplies protecting topics that included psychology and immigration in DOD faculties.
Pete Hegseth at Capitol Hill final month.
Hegseth additionally mentioned in a memo final week that the U.S. army will not permit transgender people to hitch the army and can cease performing or facilitating procedures related to gender transition for service members.
“Efficient instantly, all new accessions for people with a historical past of gender dysphoria are paused,” Hegseth mentioned within the memo. “All unscheduled, scheduled, or deliberate medical procedures related to affirming or facilitating a gender transition for Service members are paused.”
One of many protestors was holding an umbrella lined in a rainbow sample, which is often related to LGBTQ+ causes.
These strikes got here in opposition to a broader Trump administration initiative to terminate federal staff in range, fairness and inclusion roles, in lots of circumstances particularly pertaining to the U.S. armed forces.
In his first weeks in workplace, Trump signed 4 government orders pertaining to the army that included one barring transgender individuals from enlisting and serving brazenly and one other cracking down on DEI initiatives within the armed providers.
Protests by army households in opposition to a protection secretary are extraordinarily uncommon, though it’s not the primary time Hegseth has been demonstrated in opposition to. Throughout his Senate affirmation listening to final month, he was repeatedly interrupted by protestors throughout his opening assertion, with one attacking him as a “Christian Zionist” over his help for Israel’s battle in opposition to Hamas in Gaza.
Hegseth, a former-Fox Information anchor and fight veteran, was ultimately confirmed by the Senate, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting a vote to keep away from a tie, marking solely the second time in historical past a vp was wanted to interrupt a tie for a Cupboard-level nominee.
The protection secretary’s nomination by President Trump was felt to be controversial given earlier remarks through which he mentioned that ladies shouldn’t serve in fight roles and a number of information studies detailing allegations of alcohol abuse, a sexual assault and the monetary mismanagement of organizations that he led.
This text was initially printed on NBCNews.com