Hegseth vows to change name of US Naval Vessel named after activist

Trump made it clear when he was running that DEI would die during this presidency.  

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has now drawn blood in this fight, vowing to strip the name of a ship bearing the name of a liberal activist.  

Removing DEI 

On March 18, 2025, Trump issued an executive order to push back against DEI in foreign service.  

In part, the order stated, “The memorandum directs the Secretary of State to remove the ‘Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility’ Core Precept from Foreign Service tenure and promotion criteria. 

“It further directs that the U.S. government will not base Foreign Service recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention decisions on an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, nor embed discriminatory equity ideology within any element of the Foreign Service.” 

Trump vowed that merit would now be used rather than someone checking the right box.  

Restoring Monuments 

During the Biden administration, Trump was livid when monuments were being torn down or renamed by Democrats.  

After taking office, Trump vowed to restore them all, surely knowing the blowback would be significant from the left.  

Trump stated, "We're doing a thorough, park-by-park review to protect the legacy of our nation's heroes and historic figures. This process takes time, but make no mistake — we are committed to upholding the values and history that make this country great.” 

The challenge for Trump is that many of these monuments were not on federal land, so it will be very tough for him to follow through 100% on this promise. While he could push for anything on federal grounds, he has no control over what local governments do. 

Hegseth to rename ship 

Hegseth has announced that a Navy ship named after activist Harvey Milk will be stripped of its name.  

His office stated, “Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all [Department of Defense] installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos.”  

Rumors have already started to circulate that ships named after Harriet Tubman and late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg could be next.  

Dems are now attacking Trump, with Governor Gavin Newsom of California stating that this “won’t erase his legacy as an American icon, but it does reveal Trump’s contempt for the very values our veterans fight to protect.” I just cannot imagine what will happen to anything conservative once Democrats get back in charge. This is going to be an all-out war.