Hegseth stripping Harvey Milk's name off Navy ship is weak and insecure | Opinion; USA Today, June 4, 2025

Rex Huppke, USA TODAY ; Hegseth stripping Harvey Milk's name off Navy ship is weak and insecure | Opinion

"Hegseth's plan to scrub Harvey Milk's name from a ship is peak insecurity

The “warrior ethos,” Secretary Hegseth? Are you an insecure 12-year-old?

Nothing says indomitable warrior quite like, “I’m afraid of this boat’s name.”

A true warrior would be familiar with American history and would know that Milk served as a U.S. Navy operations officer on rescue submarines during the Korean War, then went on to become the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. He was serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors when he and the city’s mayor were assassinated in 1978.

Milk served in the Korean War and earned his place in history

A true warrior would recognize that U.S. service members throughout history have proudly served, fought and died for the rights of all Americans to speak and live freely.

A true warrior would be appalled to read the statement Milk’s nephew Stuart Milk, who chairs the Harvey Milk Foundation, had to release in response to Hegseth’s pathetic renaming plan, saying of the slain activist: “His legacy has stood as a proud and bright light for the men and women who serve in our nation's military – including those who have served on the USNS Harvey Milk – and a reminder that no barriers of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or physical infirmity will restrain their human spirit.

Hegseth apparently sees US Navy ship names as 'woke'

The New York Times reported that there are other ships named after civil rights leaders that might be renamed under Hegseth’s feeble leadership. The names include Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Harriet Tubman and Cesar Chavez.

Make no mistake that behind these decisions is an administration limply fighting back against any incursion on the power of straight, White men, wholly unaware that people with real power don’t need to exert their will on others...

Hegseth and others in the Trump administration don't know true strength

But that’s not strength. It’s not a “warrior ethos.” Heck, it’s not even an ethos. It’s just a bunch of unconfident losers trying to push others down to make themselves feel tall.

If Harvey Milk’s name is scrubbed from a Navy ship, it won’t alter his legacy. His name, decades upon decades from now, will still echo in the pages of history, the hearts of students of civil rights and the mind of any soldier with a true warrior ethos.

Pete Hegseth's name, on the other hand, will prompt only one response: “Who’s that? Never heard of him.”"

Pentagon cuts off Hegseth town hall webcast after transparency pledge; Navy Times, February 7, 2025

 Stephen Losey, Navy Times; Pentagon cuts off Hegseth town hall webcast after transparency pledge

"The Pentagon cut off a webcast of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s first town hall with troops and department employees Friday as soon as questions began, and shortly after Hegseth promised to be transparent with service members and the public.

Hegseth delivered about 15 minutes of opening remarks, which touched on issues such as grooming standards, readiness, border security and the administration’s desire to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs from the military, before opening the floor to questions...

The broadcast ended less than two minutes after Hegseth pledged to be open with service members and the public.

“I appreciate the service so many of you give,” Hegseth said. “I know so many people watching. It’s the honor of a lifetime to come alongside you. No one will work harder. No one’s going to be more — attempt to be more transparent with the American people and with you.”

When asked a follow-up question about why the department stopped broadcasting when questions began, the Pentagon’s press office said, “The [defense secretary’s] opening remarks were televised to allow a larger audience. The Q&A portion was open to in-person participants only.”

It does not appear the Pentagon broadcast any portion of town halls held by Hegseth’s predecessor, Lloyd Austin.

However, the Pentagon did not indicate in its Friday morning email announcing Hegseth’s town hall that the questioning portion would not be broadcast. The webpage with the town hall feed originally indicated the broadcast was scheduled to run for about an hour and a half...

Hegseth said one of his top priorities is “restoring the warrior ethos,” before harshly criticizing the Pentagon’s previous focus on improving diversity in the ranks.

“I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is, ‘Our diversity is our strength,’” Hegseth said. “I think our strength is our unity. Our strength is our shared purpose, regardless of our background, regardless of how we grew up, regardless of our gender, regardless of our race. In this department, we will treat everyone equally, we will treat everyone with respect and we will judge you as an individual by your merit and by your commitment to the team and the mission.”

The Trump administration views diversity, equity and inclusion programs — referred to as DEI — as efforts to divide the military instead of uniting it, Hegseth said.

But the Pentagon’s initial efforts to comply with the administration’s DEI orders have been rocky."