{"id":2433758,"date":"2025-05-12T16:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T20:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hegseths-memo-to-us-military-academies-means-merit-not-dei-will-determine-americas-future-officers\/"},"modified":"2025-05-12T16:03:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T20:03:57","slug":"hegseths-memo-to-us-military-academies-means-merit-not-dei-will-determine-americas-future-officers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hegseths-memo-to-us-military-academies-means-merit-not-dei-will-determine-americas-future-officers\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth\u2019s Memo to US Military Academies Means Merit, Not DEI, Will Determine America\u2019s Future Officers"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhegseths-memo-to-us-military-academies-means-merit-not-dei-will-determine-americas-future-officers%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2433758&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In a recent memo, Secretary of Defense pete Hegseth has initiated important changes to the admission processes at the U.S. Military Service Academies, including West Point, the Naval Academy, and the air Force Academy. Hegseth&#8217;s directive emphasizes an overhaul to prioritize merit-based admissions, explicitly prohibiting the consideration of race, ethnicity, or gender in the selection process. This move is framed as a necessary response to what Hegseth identifies as a decline in standards due to &#8220;diversity, equity, and inclusion&#8221; (DEI) policies that have infiltrated the military system. He argues that the priority should be on producing the best possible leaders for the armed forces, unfettered by ideological constraints. <\/p>\n<p>Hegseth&#8217;s memo mandates that Military Service Academies must certify adherence to these merit-based criteria within a specific timeline, with compliance expected by 2026. He expresses a commitment to returning the military to a focus on excellence and capability, rejecting the pressures of identity politics in favor of a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >purely performance-driven approach<\/a>. This directive is portrayed as a reaffirmation of the military&#8217;s role as an effective and lethal force, aligning with the belief that competence should always take precedence, especially in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-appears-to-make-it-clear-he-read-teleprompter-notes-during-prime-time-speech\/\" title=\"Biden&#039;s prime-time speech suggests he relied on teleprompter notes.\">high-stakes situations<\/a> such as military leadership.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has just delivered a masterstroke for America&rsquo;s military future, and the left is predictably losing its collective mind.<\/p>\n<p>In a memo issued on Friday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/many-chiefs-not-enough-indians-hegseth-identifies-key-issue-plaguing-us-military-orders-reduction-top-brass\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hegseth<\/a> ordered the Military Service Academies to overhaul their admissions process, stripping away the diversity, equity, and inclusion nonsense that&rsquo;s been eroding standards for far too long.<\/p>\n<p>This move is a long-overdue return to sanity, ensuring our officer corps is built on merit alone.<\/p>\n<p>The memo, first reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/exclusive-hegseth-makes-monumental-change-to-admissions-at-military-academies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Daily Wire<\/a>, directed the MSAs to certify within 30 days that all future admissions will be based &ldquo;exclusively on merit.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth minced no words in his public acknowledgment on X, shortly after the Wire report, stating, &ldquo;ALL FUTURE ADMISSIONS will be &lsquo;exclusively on merit.&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">MEMO to: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WestPoint_USMA?\">@WestPoint_USMA<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NavalAcademy?\">@NavalAcademy<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/af_academy?\">@af_academy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>ALL FUTURE ADMISSIONS will be &ldquo;exclusively on merit.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Race, ethnicity, or sex&rdquo; can NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED.<\/p>\n<p>Our officers will be the best of the best&mdash;full stop. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XAE0QzxLHP\">pic.twitter.com\/XAE0QzxLHP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeteHegseth\/status\/1920986104204845547?\">May 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Race, ethnicity, or sex&rsquo; can NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED,&rdquo; he added. It is a long-overdue cultural gut-punch to the woke ideologues who&rsquo;ve been infecting our military with identity politics.<\/p>\n<p>The left will scream about &ldquo;diversity&rdquo; and &ldquo;inclusion,&rdquo; but let&rsquo;s be real: War doesn&rsquo;t care about your skin color or gender. Frontline insurgents aren&rsquo;t checking boxes for Asian women or non-binary candidates before they strike.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth gets this fundamental truth, and, thankfully, he&rsquo;s not afraid to act on it.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our officers will be the best of the best&mdash;full stop,&rdquo; Hegseth declared on X. This isn&rsquo;t just hyperbole; it&rsquo;s a promise to the American people and the troops who&rsquo;ll serve under these future leaders.<\/p>\n<p>The stakes genuinely couldn&rsquo;t be higher.<\/p>\n<p>DEI in military operations of national importance is outrageous. The idea that we should prioritize a predetermined mix of candidates over raw ability is a betrayal of the soldiers who rely on their leaders to be the sharpest, toughest, and most capable.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth&rsquo;s memo ensured that merit, not quotas, will shape the officer corps.<\/p>\n<p>The MSAs &mdash; West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy &mdash; have long been bastions of excellence, producing leaders who&rsquo;ve kept America safe. But recent years have seen them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/joe-biden-announces-woke-new-direction-us-militarys-combined-assets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bow to progressive pressure<\/a>, diluting standards in the name of &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/woke-military-bill-passes-134-gop-yeas-representative-voted\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">equity<\/a>.&rdquo; Hegseth&rsquo;s order stopped that rot cold.<\/p>\n<p>War is the ultimate meritocracy. A battlefield doesn&rsquo;t hand out participation trophies and neither should our military academies. Hegseth&rsquo;s memo made it clear: If you want to lead America&rsquo;s fighting forces, you&rsquo;d better be the best, period.<\/p>\n<p>This isn&rsquo;t just about the military. This same logic (and mandate) should apply to law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders. A burglar doesn&rsquo;t care about your race. A raging inferno doesn&rsquo;t check your gender. A bleeding victim doesn&rsquo;t ask for your pronouns. Merit should always reign supreme, especially in these high-stakes fields.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth&rsquo;s memo sets a precedent that should ripple across every institution that values competence over ideology. The left&rsquo;s obsession with DEI has no place in arenas where lives are on the line. It&rsquo;s a delusion that victims ultimately pay in blood.<\/p>\n<p>The secretary&rsquo;s order came with a clear timeline: MSAs must rank-order candidates based on merit by 2026, using scores like the 10 U.S.C. &sect; 7442, 7443, 8454, 8456, 9442, and 9443. The mandate for excellence isn&rsquo;t a suggestion.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth isn&rsquo;t playing games. He&rsquo;s directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to ensure compliance by the 2026 admissions cycle. This is leadership with teeth, something the military has desperately needed.<\/p>\n<p>The left will clutch their pearls, but their outrage is meaningless. They&rsquo;d rather see a &ldquo;diverse&rdquo; officer corps than a lethal one, and that&rsquo;s a choice America can&rsquo;t afford. Hegseth prioritizes victory over feelings, as he should.<\/p>\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-navy-seal-congressman-lays-out-4-disastrous-results-of-harris-afghanistan-leadership-failure\/\" title=\"Former Navy SEAL Congressman Lays Out 4 Disastrous Results of Harris&#039; Afghanistan ...hip Failure\">enemies don&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t care about our diversity stats &mdash; they care about our strength. Hegseth&rsquo;s directive ensures that the U.S. military will remain the most lethal force the world has ever known, as the memo itself stated.<\/p>\n<p>This move is a win for every soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine who deserves leaders chosen for their skill, not their identity. Hegseth&rsquo;s military is putting America first, and it&rsquo;s about time.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/twitter-employees-in-a-panic-as-musk-takeover-nears-finalization\/\" title=\"Twitter Employees in a Panic as Musk Takeover Nears Finalization\">participation trophy generation<\/a> can fume all they want. Hegseth&rsquo;s focus on merit guarantees that our future officers will be forged in excellence, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/biden-military-focusing-woke-training-drag-shows-satellite-images-show-china-rapidly-closing-gap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">not ideology<\/a>. That&rsquo;s a future worth fighting for.<\/p>\n<p>Critics will cry &ldquo;discrimination,&rdquo; but the only discrimination here is against mediocrity. Hegseth is ensuring that the MSAs produce leaders who can win wars.<\/p>\n<p>This is a defining moment for the military. Hegseth has drawn a line in the sand: competence over everything else. The left may hate it, but our troops &mdash; and our nation &mdash; will thank him.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth&rsquo;s memo isn&rsquo;t just a policy change; it&rsquo;s a declaration that America&rsquo;s military will never compromise on greatness.<\/p>\n<p>That&rsquo;s the kind of leadership we need in the Pentagon.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has made a significant move for the future of America&#8217;s military, prompting predictable outrage from the left. In a memo released on Friday, he instructed the Military Service Academies to revamp their admissions procedures by eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion policies that have compromised standards for too long. This decision marks a necessary return to merit-based evaluations for our officer corps. The memo, first reported by The Daily Wire, mandates that within 30 days, all future admissions must be based solely on merit. Hegseth emphasized this point in a post on X shortly after the report: &#8220;ALL FUTURE ADMISSIONS will be &#8216;exclusively on merit.'&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>He further stated that &#8220;race, ethnicity, or sex&#8221; can no longer be factors in admissions decisions. This action serves as a much-needed challenge to those promoting identity politics within the military. While critics may argue about &#8220;diversity&#8221; and &#8220;inclusion,&#8221; it&#8217;s important to recognize that warfare does not consider skin color or gender; frontline combatants are not concerned with demographic quotas.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth understands this crucial reality and is willing to take decisive action. He assured that our officers will represent only the best talent available\u2014without exception. This isn&#8217;t mere rhetoric; it\u2019s a commitment to both American citizens and service members who will follow these future leaders into battle.<\/p>\n<p>The emphasis on diversity in military operations is unacceptable; prioritizing predetermined candidate mixes over actual ability undermines soldiers who depend on capable leadership during critical times. Hegseth&#8217;s directive ensures that qualifications\u2014not quotas\u2014will define our officer corps.<\/p>\n<p>The Military Service Academies\u2014West Point, Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy\u2014have historically been centers of excellence but have recently succumbed to progressive pressures leading to lowered standards under the guise of \u201cequity.\u201d Hegseth&#8217;s order halts this decline decisively because war demands true meritocracy; battlefields do not reward participation but rather skill and capability.<\/p>\n<p>This principle should extend beyond just military academies\u2014it applies equally to law enforcement and emergency responders where lives are at stake regardless of race or gender considerations.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth&#8217;s memo sets forth clear expectations: by 2026 MSAs must rank candidates based solely on merit using established scoring systems like those outlined in U.S.C sections 7442 through 9443. Compliance with these standards is mandatory as directed by Hegseth himself\u2014a strong display of leadership needed within military ranks.<\/p>\n<p>While critics may express outrage over this shift towards prioritizing competence over identity politics\u2014their concerns pale against national security needs where effectiveness trumps feelings every time.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, Hegseth\u2019s directive aims at ensuring America\u2019s armed forces remain unmatched globally while fostering an environment where leaders are chosen based purely upon their abilities rather than personal characteristics\u2014a necessary evolution for which all service members deserve recognition<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2433759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Pete-Hegseth-4.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[16574,5152,45173,18925,4505],"class_list":["post-2433758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-dei","tag-education","tag-hegseth","tag-meritocracy","tag-military"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Pete-Hegseth-4.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2433758"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2433762,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433758\/revisions\/2433762"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2433759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2433758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2433758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2433758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}