The U.S. Department of Defense, under Secretary Pete Hegseth, is set to remove thousands of images, including those of the famed World War II aircraft Enola Gay, as part of a sweeping effort to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) content following orders from the Trump administration.
According to a database obtained by The Associated Press, at least 26,000 images have been flagged for removal, though the final total may be significantly higher.
This move follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump after his return to office, aiming to eradicate DEI initiatives across federal agencies and the military. The order argues that DEI policies promote discrimination rather than equality and “undermine leadership, merit, and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness.”
“As chief executive and commander-in-chief, I am committed to meritocracy and to the elimination of race-based and sex-based discrimination within the armed forces of the United States. No individual or group within our armed forces should be preferred or disadvantaged on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, colour, or creed,” Trump stated.
Hegseth’s Deadline for DEI Purge
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a vocal critic of DEI policies, set a deadline of Wednesday, 5 March, for the military to “take all practicable steps” to erase all news articles, images, and videos promoting DEI. He has previously declared that “DEI is dead” and that the administration is refocusing the military on “merit and mission readiness.”
However, some removals appear to be based on keyword searches rather than policy intent. Among the flagged content is an image of the Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. Another flagged photo includes an Army Corps of Engineers worker named Gay, seemingly targeted due to their surname. A separate image of Army Corps biologists was also marked for removal, possibly because the caption referenced gender—a term now viewed by some as linked to DEI.
Wider Crackdown on LGBTQ+ and DEI Policies
The removal of DEI-related content is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to roll back protections for transgender individuals and LGBTQ+ rights. Since taking office, Trump has signed multiple executive orders, including banning transgender individuals from serving in the military, restricting gender-affirming healthcare for those under 19, and officially declaring that the U.S. government recognises only two sexes.
John Ullyot, a Pentagon spokesperson, defended the swift compliance with the directive, stating:
“We are pleased by the rapid compliance across the Department with the directive removing DEI content from all platforms. In the rare cases that content is removed that is out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct components accordingly.”
Backlash Over Enola Gay Image Removal
The decision to target the Enola Gay image—seemingly due to its name—has been widely mocked. Critics have called it “idiotic,” “truly mad,” and “moronic.” Chris Meagher, a former Pentagon spokesperson, described the situation as “bonkers.”
One social media user quipped, “Don’t Say (Enola) Gay!,” referencing the former U.S. military policy that prevented LGBTQ+ troops from serving openly.
Beyond the military, DEI remains a contentious issue across the U.S. Right-wing activist Robby Starbuck has spearheaded campaigns urging corporations to abandon diversity initiatives, leading several major companies to roll back equality policies.
