Hegseth Ends War Dept. Studies At ‘Elite’ Schools Over DEI

In a sweeping move that signals a major recalibration of military education policy, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the Department of Defense will terminate all military attendance at several elite universities beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year.

In a video statement posted to social media, Hegseth said the directive would apply to institutions that have long hosted U.S. military officers for graduate and professional studies, including Princeton University, Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, and Yale University.

“Today, just like we did with Harvard, I am ordering the complete and immediate cancellation of all Department of War attendance at institutions like Princeton, Columbia, MIT, Brown, Yale and many others, starting next academic year, 2026-2027,” Hegseth said.

“We cannot and will not continue to send our most capable officers, senior officers, into graduate programs that undermine the very values they have sworn to uphold,” he added.

The decision represents a significant break from decades of Pentagon practice, during which partnerships with civilian universities formed a key part of the officer development pipeline. But Hegseth made clear that, under President Donald J. Trump’s second term, the War Department is prioritizing battlefield readiness and constitutional fidelity over academic prestige.

Hegseth called for a sweeping review of military academic programs, emphasizing that senior service colleges must return to a laser focus on national defense.

“We demand that senior service colleges work to sharpen our war fighters on genuine national security issues, not social justice activism,” he said.

“We demand curriculums grounded in the founding principles of this republic, principles that champion the enduring ideals of peace through strength and putting American interests first.”

He broadened his critique to the wider higher education establishment.

“We demand universities that invest back into our nation’s prosperity rather than our greatest adversaries,” the Pentagon chief said. “It’s common sense.”

Hegseth further pledged a formal “top to bottom” review to ensure U.S. military colleges are “once again bastions of strategic thought, wholly dedicated to the singular mission of developing the most lethal and effective leaders and war fighters the world has ever known.”

“We’re going to hold ourselves accountable as well,” he said.

He concluded with a direct message to America’s service members, contrasting their sacrifice with what he portrayed as disdain from academic elites.

“As a final message to our warriors, the Ivy League faculty lounges may loathe you, the so-called elite of academia may mock your patriotism and disdain your sacrifice, but never forget that we the War Department have your back,” Hegseth said.

The announcement comes amid heightened global tensions. President Trump recently ordered U.S. forces to strike Iranian targets after diplomatic efforts failed to halt Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

In a video message posted online, Trump urged the Iranian people to reclaim their country once U.S. and Israeli forces conclude “major combat operations” — a bold escalation in Washington’s confrontation with Tehran.

The joint U.S.-Israel operation, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by the War Department, began just after 9 a.m. local time.

Addressing the Iranian public directly, Trump delivered a message rarely heard from a sitting American president.

“The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” Trump said. “This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it. No President was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a President who is giving you what you want.”

Together, the twin developments underscore a defining theme of President Trump’s second term: unapologetic strength abroad and a decisive break from institutions at home that, in the administration’s view, have drifted from America’s founding ideals.