Articles on topics such as the Holocaust, September 11, cancer awareness, sexual assault, and suicide prevention are among the tens of thousands of pieces removed or flagged for removal from Pentagon websites. This is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to comply with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s directive to eliminate “diversity” content from all its platforms.
A database obtained by CNN reveals that more than 24,000 articles are at risk of being purged, with many already taken down. The effort extends beyond simply removing images from the Pentagon’s visual database (DVIDS) and includes content from over 1,000 websites hosted by the department.
Last month, the Pentagon announced it would be eliminating news and feature articles that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Pentagon Press Secretary John Ullyot stated that the Defense Department was “pleased by the rapid compliance” across the department with the directive. He added, “In the rare cases that content is removed—either deliberately or by mistake—that is out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct the components and they correct the content so it recognizes our heroes for their dedicated service alongside their fellow Americans, period.”
However, many of the articles flagged or removed, which CNN reviewed and found accessible via the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, appear to have no direct connection to DEI programs, race theory, gender ideology, or identity-based initiatives.
At least half a dozen articles, including those about the Holocaust, have already been removed and now feature the word “DEI” in their URLs.
These articles include one on Holocaust survivor Kitty Saks, which describes the Holocaust as “the state-sponsored, systemic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry,” an article on Holocaust Remembrance Week, and another titled “A Cadet’s Perspective: Holocaust Days of Remembrance.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, expressed concern over the removal of Holocaust-related content, including survivor stories, under the label of “DEI.”
“Honoring the memory of the Holocaust and those who survived is not a matter of political ideology — it is a moral imperative and a vital component of education, remembrance, and the fight against antisemitism,” Greenblatt told CNN. “The history of the Holocaust, including the liberation of the camps, also reflects the bravery and sacrifice of Allied soldiers — a legacy that should be preserved, not erased. We urge the DoD to reverse this decision and preserve these vital historical records.”
Articles related to September 11 remembrance, including those featuring service members reflecting on their experiences that day, have also been removed. In addition, articles focused on cancer awareness, such as those for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and colon cancer awareness, have been deleted.
One such article, written by an Air Force Surgeon General titled “A healthy lifestyle lowers your risk of getting breast cancer,” was removed and now includes “DEI” in its URL.
Several articles addressing sexual assault have also been removed, with titles like “April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month” and “A call to action – Three ways to combat sexual assault,” now labeled with “DEI” in their URLs.
Articles related to suicide prevention have also been removed, including titles such as “VA releases veteran suicide statistics by state,” “Suicide prevention alliance focuses on troops, veterans,” and “Suicide Prevention Resources That Can Help.” The latter two articles now include “DEI” in their URLs.
The purged content also encompasses thousands of articles highlighting the contributions made to the military by women, LGBTQ individuals, people of color, and historical figures like Jackie Robinson, who served in the US military during World War II.
According to an email obtained by CNN and three defense officials, much of the content was removed by an automated script run by the Department of Defense’s (DoD) public web administrators. This aligns with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s February 27 memo, which stated that DoD’s media arm, Defense Media Activity, would oversee “systematic content removal” across Pentagon platforms.
The use of automation has resulted in significant “collateral damage,” according to one defense official. “People don’t understand the scope and the carelessness of ‘unpublishing’ that has occurred,” the official noted.
Another official said that the Pentagon acknowledges the need for a significant course correction in the process and is now conducting a more thorough review of the purged content to determine if any should be republished.
“Given these events, the department understands that this must be a more deliberate process involving human oversight to ensure a comprehensive review of the content,” the official said. “This may take longer than initially planned.”
