https://www.newsweek.com/pete-hegseths-fox-news-colleagues-react-white-supremacist-accusation-1986874
In his 2024 book, The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free, Hegseth, who is a New York Times bestselling author, spoke out against the military's drive to increase diversity among higher-ranked officers.
"Take it to the racist bank: Black troops at all levels will be promoted simply based on their race," he wrote in a section cited by The Washington Post. "Some will be qualified; some will not be."
Hegseth left the Army in 2021, according to Reuters, after being labeled an "extremist" he said, and that the Army did not want him. In his book, Hegseth also wrote that the feeling was mutual, "I didn't want this Army anymore either."