Hegseth Says Army Hit 2026 Recruiting Goal 4 Months Early, Blasts DEI at West Point
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 27
Hegseth Says Army Hit 2026 Recruiting Goal 4 Months Early, Blasts DEI at West Point
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 27
Four months before deadline, Pete Hegseth said the Army had already met its 2026 recruiting goal in a West Point commencement speech that also attacked DEI and "woke and weak leaders."
At the ceremony, he told cadets combat "does not grade on a curve," arguing the Army had lowered standards through an obsession with race and gender, weakened discipline and discarded traditions for political correctness.
Hegseth said past West Point leaders had tried to turn the academy into a "woke Princeton," citing diversity and inclusion studies and professors he said promoted anti-American ideologies.
The address framed recruiting momentum as evidence for a broader merit-based reset in military culture, with Hegseth casting battlefield readiness—not identity politics—as the standard that should govern the force.
As West Point's traditions are reshaped, how does the military balance its storied past with the demands of 21st-century warfare?
With recruiting goals surpassed, what is the secret to the military's sudden success after years of enlistment shortfalls?
Is there concrete evidence that diversity initiatives are compromising standards in America's police, fire, and healthcare services as claimed?