The U.S. Army has denied claims that it has merely rebranded its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and that such initiatives are now “dead.”
Why It Matters
The comments indicate that the Army is fully supportive of President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s moves to ban DEI in the military.
CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images
What to Know
On January 27, Trump signed several executive orders aimed at reducing DEI initiatives in the Army.
One order, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” seeks to ban transgender troops from serving in the armed forces.
On February 14, the Libs of TikTok social media account, run by Chaya Raichik, posted what it claimed was a recent memo from Lieutenant General Joseph Berger regarding the creation of an “Office of Professional and Organizational Development (OPOD).”
Libs of TikTok is known for its inflammatory anti-LGBTQ+ posts and opposition to so-called “woke” ideology in professional environments. The account has been accused of inciting real-life violence, including bomb threats at schools and hospitals.
A spokesperson for the Army told Newsweek it had no further comment on resharing the Libs of TikTok account on social media.
The memo shared by Libs of TikTok stated that programs such as the Army’s “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Program” would be consolidated into OPOD, along with the Judge Advocate Recruiting Office and its Wellness Program.
Raichik accused the Army of “rebranding” DEI in violation of Trump’s executive orders.
In response to the Libs of TikTok post on X, formerly Twitter, the official U.S. Army account posted that the memo was “old” and that “DEI is dead at [the] US Army.”
The account also shared a January 31 press release from the Department of Defense [DOD] stating declaring “Identity Months Dead at DoD”.
The release details how the DOD will no longer formally celebrate cultural awareness months, including Black History Month, Pride Month, or National American Indian Heritage Month. Service members are still permitted to attend such events in an “unofficial capacity outside of duty hours.”
The Army’s February 14 post was reshared on X by Hegseth.
In follow-up posts, the U.S. Army account confirmed that it will no longer allow transgender individuals to join the military and will stop “performing or facilitating procedures associated with gender transition” for service members.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Army account posting on X: “This is an old memo. DEI is dead at the US Army. The Army & the JAG Corps is in compliance with Trump’s executive orders and Hegseth’s orders.”
Former Army paratrooper Chase Spears posted on X: “I never thought I’d see the day that this account posted something that makes sense. The days of pandering to perverts and woke PFCs are over. This is what I voted for.”
Scott Strgacich, a research associate at Defense Priorities, posted on X: “The U.S. Army’s official account retweeting Libs of TikTok to assure its rabid followers it’s not doing Wrongthink is so bleak lol.”
Trump’s “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” executive order states: “Beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.
“A man’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.”
What Happens Next
At least two lawsuits have been filed by transgender service members challenging Trump’s executive order barring transgender people from serving in the military.
