12+ Black & female promotions blocked
Secretary Hegseth has blocked or delayed the promotion of more than 12 Black and female senior military officers since taking office.
Snapshot · The Bulwark Podcast
Clint Smith: Make America What It Set Out to Be
Explore episode
Jul 3, 2026
Where this was said
Welcome: Introducing Clint Smith
At 10:01 · chapter starts 9:30
Tim Miller formally opens the interview by introducing Clint Smith as a staff writer at The Atlantic, author of the poetry collection 'Above Ground,' and author of the bestselling 'How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America.' Miller notes with pleasure that he has now hosted both Smith siblings and teases that Clint's brother gave him some oppo on Clint. The segment is short but establishes the collegial, candid tone that will carry the rest of the conversation.
Black Soldiers Under Hegseth: A System of Erasure
Black and female military officers are being blocked from promotions they earned, subjected to DEI loyalty tests run by AI, and watching their history erased from Pentagon walls. Hegseth hasn't just introduced hostility — he's removed the top-level accountability that once kept racist behavior in check, effectively writing a blank check for discrimination throughout the ranks.
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