Former military leaders tear into Trump Pentagon’s promotion scandal

Systemic Error Podcast · Jul 4, 2026 · 4m

Merit, As Long As It Looks Like HimThe Chain of PowerThe relevant fact is simple: promotions in the Pentagon are not being blocked by the people whose careers are at stake. They are being blocked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, operating inside Donald Trump’s Department of Defense. That is where the power sits, and that is where the decision was made.According to the reporting, Hegseth intervened to stop a set of one-star admiral promotions that had already been approved, with women and Black officers overrepresented among the targeted names. The source makes the conflict plain: this is…