Hegseth Pulls Pentagon Speakers From Aspen Conference

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pulled senior Defense Department officials from the Aspen Security Conference this week, which was slapped for promoting the "evil of globalism," Just the News reported.

The conference, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Colorado, is one of the most recognized national security events and is regularly attended by senior Pentagon leaders, top officials from the State Department and National Security Council and foreign defense leaders.

Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell issued a statement saying, "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."

"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," he added.

This week's conference will be attended by other Trump administration officials including Adam Boehler, the presidential envoy for hostage response, and Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador the Turkey and Syria. Former officials from the Biden administration Jake Sullivan and Brett McGurk will also be in attendance. Mark Esper, President Donald Trump's former acting defense secretary and David Petraeus, who briefly served as CIA director under President Barack Obama are slated to be speaking.

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson added, "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."

The Aspen Institute issued a statement on the Pentagon's withdrawal saying, "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. We will miss the participation of the Pentagon, but our invitations remain open."

• DOD Pulls Nomination of Admiral Over Drag Shows
• Hegseth Unveils Overhaul of Pentagon Drone Production