Defense Secretary Hegseth pulls Pentagon officials from Aspen Security Forum over claims of promoting globalism.

Pentagon Officials Pulled Over ‘Globalism’ Concerns

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has abruptly withdrawn senior Department of Defense officials from the Aspen Security Forum, citing concerns that the conference promotes what he described as the “evil of globalism.” The move marks a break from years of bipartisan participation in the high-profile security conference held annually in Aspen, Colorado.

Military commanders were scheduled to speak at the event, a tradition continued through both Republican and Democratic administrations. However, Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson announced that the secretary’s office viewed the forum as fostering “disdain for our great country, and hatred for the President of the United States.”

Wilson emphasized that 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 decision follows mounting scrutiny from within the administration about the value of international forums and the perception that they dilute core American interests.

Broader Forum Participation Continues Amid Controversy

Despite the Pentagon’s withdrawal, several other Trump administration figures are set to attend. Adam Boehler, presidential envoy for hostage response, and Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador for Turkey and Syria, remain on the agenda. The conference will also feature high-profile speakers from previous administrations, including former national security advisor Jake Sullivan, former National Security Council coordinator Brett McGurk, former acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper, former CIA Director David Petraeus, and Condoleezza Rice, a secretary of state under President George W. Bush.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell further clarified the Department’s stance in 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.” He added that the Department remains focused on “increasing the lethality of our warfighters, revitalizing the warrior ethos, and projecting Peace Through Strength on the world stage.” Parnell underscored that the Aspen Security Forum is “not in alignment with these goals.”

The Aspen Institute responded with its own statement expressing disappointment at the Pentagon’s withdrawal but maintaining an open invitation. “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,” the Institute stated.

This year’s event will still see a diverse mix of current and former officials discussing U.S. and global security challenges. However, the Pentagon’s absence highlights widening rifts over how America should engage with international security institutions and the value of such forums in advancing U.S. policy objectives.

As the forum proceeds, attention will remain fixed on how this high-profile withdrawal shapes future civil-military engagement with influential international policy gatherings and what it signals for broader U.S. security strategy going forward.