(The Washington Stand) — Who knew the U.S. Naval Academy had roughly 400 books related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to get rid of?
Last week, a Navy spokesperson verified it: “We can confirm the U.S. Naval Academy has removed nearly 400 books from their Nimitz Library collection in order to ensure compliance with all directives outlined in Executive Orders issued by the President,” they told Fox News Digital.
While specific titles of the books removed remain mostly under wraps – no official list has been released as of yet – this action is a reflection of the Trump administration’s broader campaign to put an end to the DEI initiatives that have taken root across government agencies, public institutions, and even the hallowed halls of military academies.
This recent purge is yet another marker in the significant shift in policy of President Donald Trump and his cabinet from the previous administration – one that’s rippling through the Department of Defense and beyond.
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Initially, many of Trump’s executive orders targeting DEI applied solely to federal agencies and K-12 schools. Trump’s January 29 executive order, for example, aimed at “ending radical indoctrination” in classrooms, and any school that refused to comply risked losing federal funding. But since that was geared toward K-12, the nation’s military service academies, including the Naval Academy, West Point, and the Air Force Academy, appeared to initially escape the immediate crosshairs of those mandates. However, that exemption has now ended.
Fox reported, “The Naval Academy’s purge stemmed from an order from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s office … although it’s unclear if Hegseth issued the directive himself or if it came from a staffer.” Regardless, Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that “all service academies are fully committed to executing and implementing President Trump’s Executive Orders.”
Hegseth reinforced this directive on X: “The President’s guidance (lawful orders) is clear: No more DEI at [the Department of Defense]. The Pentagon will comply, immediately. No exceptions, name-changes, or delays.” This firm stance follows his January pledge to align the Pentagon with Trump’s mission to eliminate DEI from the military. And, as demonstrated by the purge at the Naval Academy’s library, that promise only continues to materialize.
The Nimitz Library itself is no small operation. It’s home to roughly 590,000 print books, 322 databases, and over 5,000 print journals and magazines. For decades, it has long served to foster academic and intellectual developments among Midshipmen. While Trump’s dismantling of DEI has sparked debate, it has clearly been welcomed by many.
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William G. Boykin, who serves as Family Research Council’s executive vice president, told The Washington Stand that “this is something that we all expected when Trump came into office.” If nothing else, he added, “because he is a leader.” As for removing DEI, he said, “You cannot get rid of DEI without getting rid of the books associated with it.”
“Now,” Boykin continued, it’s time to “keep a close watch on the other academies to see if they will be doing the same thing. They should be, and I would not want to be one of the academy heads who had to tell the president that he or she had not complied fully with his orders. We are now moving toward a military that is preparing to win the nation’s wars.”
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Travis Weber, FRC’s vice president for Policy and Government Affairs, has a unique take, having graduated from the Naval Academy and formerly serving as a Navy pilot. “One learns very quickly at the Naval Academy that every minute of the day and every ounce of energy must be dedicated toward preparation to lead in our nation’s military,” he said. “You simply don’t have time for anything else.”
According to Weber, distractions of any kind are to be avoided, especially DEI initiatives that emphasize race or gender over merit.
“If this includes mere distractions which don’t contribute toward this goal,” he concluded, “it absolutely includes things which work against one’s preparation to lead such as divisive programs that harm unity, camaraderie, teamwork, and cohesion – all necessary ingredients for an effective fighting force.”
This article is reprinted with permission from the Family Research Council, publishers of The Washington Stand at washingtonstand.com.