WASHINGTON — According to U.S. officials on Tuesday, the U.S. Naval Academy has taken down almost 400 books from its library after receiving instructions from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office to examine and eliminate those that promote DEI.
Academy officials were instructed to review the library late last week, and an initial search identified approximately 900 books for further examination. Nearly 400 were chosen for removal, and the process began on Monday, concluding before Hegseth’s pre-planned visit on Tuesday, which officials stated was unrelated to the library purge. A list of the removed books is not yet available.
Removing the books is another action in the Trump Administration’s extensive initiative to remove DEI content from federal agencies, including policies, programs, online and social media posts, and school curricula.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated late Tuesday, “All service academies are fully committed to executing and implementing President Trump’s Executive Orders.”
The Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, were not included in President Donald Trump’s January executive order that prohibited DEI instruction, programs, or curricula in kindergarten through 12th grade schools receiving federal funding, as the academies are colleges.
However, Pentagon leaders suddenly focused on the Naval Academy last week following a media report that the school had not removed books promoting DEI. A U.S. official indicated that the academy was instructed late last week to conduct the review and removal. It remains uncertain whether Hegseth or another member of his staff issued the order.
A West Point official verified that the school had finished reviewing its curriculum and was ready to examine library content if instructed by the Army. The Air Force and Naval academies had also conducted curriculum reviews as required.
An Air Force Academy official stated that the school regularly reviews its curriculum, coursework, and other materials to ensure compliance with executive orders and Defense Department policies. Last week, Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, the Air Force Academy superintendent, informed Congress that the school was in the midst of its course review, but books were not mentioned.
The officials requested anonymity in order to discuss academy policies.
Hegseth has aggressively advocated for the department to eliminate DEI programs and online content, but this campaign has faced criticism from lawmakers, local leaders, and citizens who are concerned about the removal of military heroes and historical references from Defense Department websites and social media pages.
In response, the department has been working to restore some of these posts as their removals have been revealed.
The confusion surrounding the interpretation of the DEI policy was highlighted on Monday when Naval Academy personnel mistakenly removed some photos of prominent female Jewish graduates from a display case while preparing for Hegseth’s visit. The photos were subsequently returned.
In a statement, the Navy acknowledged the mistaken removal of photos from the Naval Academy Jewish Center and stated that U.S. Naval Academy leadership was immediately taking steps to review and rectify the unauthorized removal.
Hegseth interacted with students and had lunch at the academy on Tuesday, but the media was not invited or permitted to cover the visit.