A post on X claims that Secretary of Defense nominee and former Fox News correspondent Pete Hegseth is looking to withhold $87 billion dollars that are currently going to military Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

According to reports, the Pentagon is worried that Pete Hegseth will immediately cut off funding for the nearly $86 billion the Pentagon has spent on DEI initiatives.

This sounds great. START NOW!!

— PAMELA HENSLEY🇺🇸 (@PamelaHensley22) November 19, 2024

Verdict: Misleading

The Pentagon allocated $86.5 million, not billion, for DEI initiatives.

Fact Check:

Former President Donald Trump nominated Hegseth to be the next Secretary of Defense following his election win Nov. 5, one of his first announced nominations for his incoming cabinet, according to The Associated Press. Some experts have questioned the pick, which is compounded by claims of sexual harassment and abuse from a unidentified woman, the outlet reported.

A post on X claims that Hegseth will be looking to cut off the $86 million dollars worth of funding that is currently going to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives throughout all branches of the military. (RELATED: Contrary To Claim, Matt Gaetz Did Not Make X Post About ‘Age Gap Dating’)

“The Pentagon is worried that Pete Hegseth will immediately cut off funding for the nearly $86 billion the Pentagon has spent on DEI initiatives. This sounds great,” the post reads. “START NOW!”

The post in question is misleading, though. The Pentagon has only spent $86.5 million on DEI programs, not billion. In 2023, the Pentagon asked for $114 million in new DEI incentives following a failed audit, ABC33 reported at the time.

The Pentagon has earmarked $162 million for DEI initiatives for 2025. While Hegseth has not publicly announced any cuts to the Pentagon’s budget, experts believe that one of the changes that will be implemented will be a significant reduction in these incentives, according to The Washington Examiner.