NYT reporter says Hegseth has brought culture war fights into the Pentagon

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has brought broader cultural and political fights into the US military, according to New York Times reporter Greg Jaffe, speaking in an interview with NPR.

Jaffe told NPR that Hegseth has disproportionately blocked the promotions of Black and women senior officers during his tenure at the Pentagon. Jaffe also said Hegseth has been purging transgender service members from the ranks of the US armed forces.

The claims, as reported by NPR, point to a broader pattern Jaffe says he has observed in personnel decisions under Hegseth's leadership, though the interview as described does not detail specific numbers of blocked promotions or discharges, nor direct comment from Hegseth or the Defense Department on these characterizations.

Hegseth has been a prominent and often polarizing figure since becoming Defense Secretary, with his approach to military personnel policy, including on diversity initiatives and transgender service members, drawing sustained attention and debate from lawmakers, advocacy groups and media outlets.

NPR's interview with Jaffe adds to ongoing coverage of how the Pentagon's leadership has approached questions of diversity, promotion practices and the role of transgender personnel in the military under the current administration.