Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has withdrawn senior Department of Defense officials from participating in the Aspen Security Forum, which begins Tuesday, citing the event’s promotion of what the Pentagon described as “the evil of globalism” and “hatred for the President of the United States.”
Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson confirmed the withdrawal in a statement to Just the News, stating that Secretary Hegseth’s office determined the forum promotes values inconsistent with those of the Defense Department.
“The secretary’s office believes the conference promotes the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country, and hatred for the President of the United States,” Wilson said.
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Wilson added that the Department of Defense “has no interest in legitimizing an organization that has invited former officials who have been the architects of chaos abroad and failure at home.”
2/ For decades, Aspen has been a playground for failed globalist elites.
The same people who gave us:
💥 Forever wars
💰 Chinese appeasement
🛂 Open borders
🧠 Woke doctrine in defense policyNot anymore.
The Pentagon is DONE giving them legitimacy. pic.twitter.com/izwPuScIGj
— Rod D. Martin (@RodDMartin) July 15, 2025
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The Aspen Security Forum, held annually by the Aspen Institute in Colorado, has long hosted military and civilian officials across presidential administrations.
This year’s speakers include figures from both the Trump and Biden administrations, along with other former high-ranking national security officials.
Among the Trump-era officials scheduled to appear are Adam Boehler, former presidential envoy for hostage response, and Tom Barrack, who served as U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Syria.
The forum will also feature Jake Sullivan, former national security advisor, and Brett McGurk, who served as a National Security Council coordinator during the Biden-Harris administration.
Additional participants include Mark Esper, Trump’s former acting secretary of defense, David Petraeus, who served briefly as CIA director under former President Barack Obama, and Condoleezza Rice, who was both national security advisor and secretary of state under President George W. Bush.
In an official statement, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell emphasized the department’s decision to withdraw was based on a fundamental values conflict.
“Senior Department of Defense officials will no longer be participating at the Aspen Security Forum because their values do not align with the values of the DoD,” Parnell said.
Parnell continued, “The Department will remain strong in its focus to increase the lethality of our warfighters, revitalize the warrior ethos, and project Peace Through Strength on the world stage. It is clear the ASF is not in alignment with these goals.”
3/ Pentagon Spox Sean Parnell put it bluntly:
“Their values do not align with the values of the DoD.”
“We are focused on lethality, warrior ethos, and Peace Through Strength.”
Oh, and we don’t believe that nations need to be subsumed into some elite-run globalist mishmash. pic.twitter.com/pDkUKNuI36
— Rod D. Martin (@RodDMartin) July 15, 2025
The Aspen Institute responded to the Pentagon’s announcement with a statement affirming its long-standing role as a venue for bipartisan national security discussion.
“For more than a decade, the Aspen Security Forum has welcomed senior officials – Republican and Democrat, civilian and military – as well as senior foreign officials and experts, who bring experience and diverse perspectives on matters of national security,” the institute stated.
“We will miss the participation of the Pentagon, but our invitations remain open.”
This marks a notable departure from precedent, as defense officials have traditionally participated in the event regardless of the administration in power.
The decision highlights the Hegseth-led Pentagon’s shift in policy direction and its firm stance on distancing the department from institutions it views as contrary to its current national defense objectives.
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