Pentagon chief Hegseth broadcasts reprieve for Scouts over DEI : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2560x1438+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/png/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6d%2Fca%2F9ac957604f2d81193c6796407fd1%2Fscreenshot-2026-02-27-at-2-54-23-pm.png" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2560x1438+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6d%2Fca%2F9ac957604f2d81193c6796407fd1%2Fscreenshot-2026-02-27-at-2-54-23-pm.png" class="img" alt="Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a video posted to X, put Scouting America "on notice" and said the Pentagon will evaluate its relationship with the organization in six months." fetchpriority="high"/> Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a video posted to X, put Scouting America "on discover" and mentioned the Pentagon will consider its relationship with the group in six months. X video by @SecWar / screengrab by NPR cover caption

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X video by @SecWar / screengrab by NPR After threatening to sever ties with Scouting America and kick the youth group off army bases worldwide, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday gave a six-month reprieve to the group previously generally known as the Boy Scouts of America.

Hegseth made the announcement in a video posted to X, framing it as an ultimatum to Scouting to evolve to the Trump administration's anti-DEI agenda. He detailed his many criticisms of the group, saying Scouts had "misplaced their approach" by altering the group's identify and "watering down" what he referred to as "the give attention to God because the ruler of the universe."

He accused the Scouts of selling "an insidious, radical, woke ideology that's anti-America and anti-American."

The Division of Struggle has formally put Scouting America on discover.

It’s time to get again to fundamentals — and DoW is main the cost. pic.twitter.com/EnY9mvaFLX

— Secretary of Struggle Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) February 27, 2026

Hegseth additionally made clear he thinks the group ought to return to being completely male. " Ideally, I consider the Boy Scouts ought to return to being the Boy Scouts as initially based, a bunch that develops boys into males," he mentioned. "Perhaps sometime."

The Pentagon's promise to reevaluate its relationship with Scouting in six months was nonetheless a retreat of types for Hegseth. At present's announcement got here after phrase of Hegseth's plans to shun Scouting sparked weeks of backlash, together with from some Republicans. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska has mentioned of Hegseth's plans: "I've heard loads of dumb stuff, however that is up there."

In a gathering with Scouting officers in January, Hegseth had demanded that the group change its identify again to Boy Scouts and take away some 200,000 younger ladies from its membership.

" I knew within the assembly that my board, my group, was not gonna make these modifications," Scouting America CEO Roger Krone mentioned in an interview with NPR.

Krone defined that the group considers together with ladies to be a service to households.

" After I was a youth, we left components of the household within the car parking zone on Friday evening once we went tenting," Krone mentioned. "Lengthy earlier than I got here again to Scouting, our board made a number of choices, by a vote of our nationwide council, that we had been gonna serve all the household."

Every week after the Pentagon assembly, Scouting officers despatched a letter to Hegseth outlining proposed concessions. Whereas they would not change the identify or kick out ladies, they'd drop a Citizenship in Society benefit badge that promoted range and had been instituted after the killing of George Floyd. They might additionally add a Navy Service benefit badge, waive membership charges for army households and supply a public rededication "of responsibility to God, responsibility to nation, and repair."

Even after the concessions, which Scouting officers mentioned they deliberate to implement regardless, a spokesman instructed NPR the group anticipated an announcement from the Pentagon severing ties was imminent. However after NPR reported on the rift, Krone mentioned Scouting's members and alumni began lobbying in opposition to breaking the century-old partnership.

Hegseth has for years criticized Scouting for allegedly caving to progressive politics. He repeated the declare Friday. "Scouting turned a corporation that not supported and celebrated boys," Hegseth mentioned. "They even welcomed the harmful delusion of gender fluidity and transgenderism to infiltrate their membership."

The Secretary additionally highlighted one other concession. "Scouting America will modify its coverage to clarify that membership will likely be based mostly solely on organic intercourse at delivery and never gender id," he mentioned. "That implies that the applying, any utility, could have solely two intercourse designations, female and male, and the applying should match the applicant's delivery certificates."

Krone famous that the Scouting utility already has solely two intercourse designations. " Tomorrow will probably be the identical utility that we had yesterday," he mentioned. "We ask for that info so we are able to function our models in a approach that ensures that our children are protected and are safeguarded."

Within the wake of sexual abuse allegations that resulted in a $4 billion sufferer compensation fund, Krone says Scouting has carried out stringent insurance policies. Together with different practices, he mentioned they ask for gender info " in order that we all know from a tenting standpoint and from a toilet standpoint how you can run our packages."

Severing ties with Scouts would have meant banning scouts from assembly on army bases, withdrawing army medical and logistical help to the quadrennial Scout Jamboree and eliminating this system that permits Eagle Scouts to enlist at superior rank and pay.

As reported by NPR, the Pentagon had gone as far as to coordinate with the heads of the totally different branches on what a separation may imply. The Pentagon circulated a draft notification internally meant for the congressional Armed Companies Committees, justifying the withdrawal of army assist for the Jamboree. The memo, reviewed by NPR, claimed that offering medical and logistical assist to the campout, scheduled for July, would threaten nationwide safety.

With this six-month trial interval, base entry for Scout troops will proceed and Jamboree help is transferring ahead for now, together with recruitment coordination. As Hegseth identified on X, many boy Scouts have grow to be high-ranking army officers, or have served the nation in different methods.