MERITOCRACY IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS JUST ANOTHER LIE

 

Pete Hegseth removed 4 decorated Army officers from a promotion list. 

Two are Black. Two are women. 

The Army Secretary refused—called their records exemplary. So Hegseth overrode it himself. Possibly illegally. His chief of staff reportedly said Trump wouldn’t want to stand next to a Black female officer at public events. 

These officers gave decades to this country. Hegseth erased them and called it meritocracy. 

Call it what it actually is: white Christian nationalism.

From "Military Times:"

"Neither the Defense Department nor the White House has offered an explanation based on the officers’ performance or record for Hegseth’s decision. About three dozen officers remain on the promotion list, according to the Times; the majority are white men. 

'This moment should not be separated from a broader, documented pattern,' Jose Vasquez, executive director of Common Defense and an Army veteran, said in a statement. 

'Since taking office, Hegseth has fired generals, renamed ships, and systematically targeted women and people of color in uniform. He is not making our military more lethal. He is making it more loyal to him and that is the true threat to national security and military readiness.' ”

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Just a reminder: 

This shameful erasure of women and people of color from the Department of Defense comes from the administration whose leader, Donald J. Trump, nominated Matt Gaetz, a former U.S. Representative who was the subject of a long-running Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into allegations of sex trafficking and sexual misconduct. 

Federal prosecutors investigated allegations that Gaetz and a former associate, Joel Greenberg, paid underage girls and escorts for sex, and violated sex trafficking laws. The probe ended with no charges filed against Gaetz. 

Following his nomination for U.S. Attorney General and subsequent resignation from Congress in November 2024, the House Ethics Committee released a report in December 2024.The report stated there was "substantial evidence" that Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl, engaged in sexual activity with women in exchange for money, used illegal drugs, and accepted impermissible gifts. 

The Trump administration claims it makes its decisions on personnel based on merit, except when it comes to the cabinet heads Trump nominated. Those decisions are based on ass-kissing loyalty and fanatical allegiance to Trump.

• Pete Hegseth (Secretary of Defense): Often described as the "least qualified" pick, Hegseth, a Fox News host and combat veteran, was picked to lead the Department of Defense, a role overseeing over 3 million employees and a $850 billion budget. Critics, including Senator Tammy Duckworth, pointed to his lack of high-level management experience compared to previous secretaries.
• Matt Gaetz (Attorney General - Withdrawn): Tapped to lead the Department of Justice, the former Congressman had no experience as a prosecutor or judge and was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, leading to questions about his suitability for the role. Gaetz withdrew from consideration.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Secretary of Health and Human Services): A prominent critic of vaccines, Kennedy was selected to oversee the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), prompting concern from health professionals about his lack of traditional public health experience.
• Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence): A former Democrat and Fox News contributor, her critics pointed to her lack of background in the intelligence community and past controversial foreign policy views.
• Linda McMahon (Secretary of Education): Former WWE executive who was tapped for the Department of Education, drawing criticism over her background.