Trump Versus DEI in the Military

We already know what President Trump thinks of DEI.  He tried to rid the government of it in his last term and has pledged to eliminate it from the Armed Forces on day 1 of his next term.  How will this be done?

Fast forward to the present day and it should be no surprise to anyone that a large percentage of today’s military is liberal in their political outlook.  When in 2011, President Obama launched DEI in a big way into the military, it was not only policy because as the Chief Executive it was within his authority to establish policy for the military, but it was also accepted enthusiastically as the right thing to do by a large segment of the military leadership and serving members.  Surveys indicate that today probably the military still leans conservative but there are more liberal military members than ever.   Ronald Henderson of Military Modelling in an article published November 28, 2024, reports the following data:

Those current members who support DEI will be dismayed that it is to be abolished and will object.  Some will vote with their feet and leave the military.  It is hard to predict but is doubtful that many will leave.  All who serve are assumed to be Patriots and continuing to serve may outweigh unhappiness about the DEI policy being changed.  So, many will just say Roger, Wilco and will continue to faithfully serve.  Some, however, will be rebellious against anti-DEI orders and will stay for the purpose of undermining the authority of those who are trying to rid the military of DEI.  We already know this is what happened during Trump’s first term as the embrace of DEI continued unabated during that time despite efforts to end it.

How should the abolishment of DEI from the military be accomplished in this sort of atmosphere?  Should everyone be required to retake their oath of office?  Should some sort of anti-DEI pledge be required of every serving member?  Should all joining the military be required to sign an acknowledgement that DEI is not allowed in the military of 2025?    Should all military be given education on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, other cases mandating the abolishment of racism throughout history up to the recent SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC cases which ban discrimination in college admissions?  Should the military try to find out who supports DEI for the purpose of purging them from the military?  Will a lawful order to stop DEI be followed by most now serving such that its adverse impact will be minimized?  I don’t know the answers to these and many other questions.  I pose the questions by way of saying to our current and future leaders that you better be thinking about this and finding the solution to banning DEI.  Unity throughout the force is needed for focus on readiness once again becomes paramount throughout the force.

Our military is more divided and more challenged inside and out than at any time since the Vietnam war.  The evidence for this is overwhelming ranging from testimony of serving members, retention and recruiting shortfalls in recent years, and manifest poor readiness reports given by the services themselves.  GAO, the Congressional Research Service, the Congressional Budget Office, and Heritage Foundation’s annual military power index have all reported on our military’s declining readiness.  That we have enemies worldwide that wish us ill is obvious to the most casual observer.  China has the ambition to rule the world and their master plan to accomplish that by 2049 is well on its way to fruition.  I have written extensively on the topic in a series of articles that have appeared this year in the Patriot Post.  You can read those articles at this link.  Due to our perceived political, economic, and military weaknesses, radicals and despots around the world have launched wars to advance their own agendas.  And America has done little to stop those conflicts under the current administration’s watch.

It is imperative that going forward the US military be completely refocused and united in recruiting, training, and preparing for conflicts around the world.  It is urgent that whatever is the method for uniting the US military behind a completely merit-based raison d'être be accomplished smoothly and effectively immediately after President Trump’s second inauguration.  The US military cannot survive if it is divided into factions for and against DEI.  Fortunately, several recent shifts have occurred that bolster the truth that DEI is seriously flawed.  First, industry has begun to abandon DEI, recognizing its serious flaws.  Second, recent academic data find that DEI just does not work.  It is counterproductive and creates strife within organizations.  It is up the President Trump, his transition team, and the new appointees to plot a course for successfully uniting the US military rapidly behind the idea of merit for all.  We must be united to fight and win our nation’s wars.  DEI in the military must be discarded to the dustbin of history.

CAPT Brent Ramsey, (USN, Ret.) has written extensively on Defense matters. He is an officer with Calvert Group, Board of Advisors member for the Center for Military Readiness and STARRS, and member of the Military Advisory Group for Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11).