On Thursday's CNN This Morning, at the end of a segment pondering whether President Trump might throw Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth under the bus, host Audie Cornish took things in a very different direction, whining about how, “He very much has completely made good on his promises to focus on culture war issues in the military.” She also falsely claimed military promotions were now reserved for whites only.
She began by playing a clip of Hegseth at Quantico proclaiming: “No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses,” no more “fat troops,” “No more beardos," and adding, "at the Department of War, we do training, not trannies."
Cornish lamented that whereas, historically, the military was a leader in our country's progress toward integration, Hegseth is now "going around saying, 'Based on your looks, vibes, your identity, you're out."
That was not what Hegseth said about race. He said no identity months and no DEI offices. But Cornish chose to misread that as evidence of something sinister. Stepping out of her role as host, she offered up this personal testimony:
“I think that's been very disturbing to see, certainly as a black American watching the history of the military being whitewashed, when so many people in the community actually were educated, mobilized, and came up through the US military. I don't think I would look at this military today and be able to say the same thing. I don't think a Colin Powell rises in this military, and that list gets even longer. I know that's beside the point, 'cause it's about more, but to me, like the generations that have been set back on this are, is really fundamental."
Did Cornish understand the implications of her accusation? She was saying one of two things: either Powell was underqualified and rose only thanks to affirmative action, or that Hegseth is a flat-out racist.
CNN's Cornish Says 'As a Black American' That Colin Powell Wouldn't Have Risen Under Hegseth pic.twitter.com/ViCgfFUT70
— Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) September 3, 2026
Republican Mike Dubke chose not to pick that fight. He praised the military’s record on integration, but did warn: “you can’t overemphasize on one thing and create a non-equal focus.” Integration, in other words, is not the same thing as a DEI thumb on the scale.
Hegseth talked grooming, fitness, and ending the identity bureaucracy. Cornish heard: because of your identity, you’re out, claiming that, as a result, Colin Powell wouldn't have risen.
That was an ugly accusation that she failed to support, implicitly slurring Hegseth and/or disparaging Powell's qualifications in the process.
Cornish concluded the segment with a sarcastic swipe at Hegseth: "Well, we've certainly swung back, because now there are no beardos." There was also recycling of a CNN graphic which showed more white generals had been either fired or forced out.
Here's the transcript.
CNN This Morning
9/3/26
6:06 am EDT
AUDIE CORNISH: Well, I do wanna add one more thing. He very much has completely made good on his promises to focus on culture war issues in the military. I just wanna play a couple examples.[Cuts to video]
PETE HEGSETH: No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses. [Transition] Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. [Transition] No more beardos. [Transition] I am authorizing a new screening program for testosterone deficiency. [Transition] And we're restoring the warrior ethos inside our department because that matters. [Transition] At the Department of War, we do training, not trannies.[Cuts back to live]
(...)
CORNISH: Also, the legacy of the US military in this country is one that ended up leading on integration in some ways, right? That ended up, there's something about calling it a meritocracy and then going around saying, "Based on your looks, vibes, your identity, you're out."
And I think that's been very disturbing to see, certainly as a black American watching the history of your, the military being whitewashed, when so many people in the community actually were educated, mobilized, and came up through the U.S. military.
I don't think I would look at this military today and be able to say the same thing. I don't think a Colin Powell rises in this military, and that, that list gets even longer. I know that's beside the point, 'cause it's about more -MIKE DUBKE: No, it's not besides the point.
CORNISH - but to me, like the generations that have been set back on this are, is really fundamental.
DUBKE: Well, we're, we're gonna talk in a, in a, in a minute, I think, if we get to it, the way the American people view our institutions. And it is telling that one of the institutions that actually scores above almost all the others when it comes to the government, is the military, and there's probably some reason behind what you're saying for that.
But there's also -- that doesn't mean that you can't have, you know, you, you can't overemphasize on one thing and create a non-equal focus.
CORNISH: That's true. Well, we've certainly swung back, because now there are no beardos.
