Pete Hegseth Hates DEI. His Deputy Put Tens Of Millions Into It

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2025/04/23/pete-hegseth-hates-dei-his-deputy-put-tens-of-millions-into-it/

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https://archive.li/eWw3m


Embattled Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth assumed his role with a clear mission in mind: “DEI is going to be ripped out root and branch,” he said on Fox News four days after taking office. His deputy secretary, billionaire investor Steve Feinberg, has a different perspective, having spent nearly $40 million on scholarship programs for Black students in recent years—making diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives the largest recipients of grants from his foundation.

Feinberg’s commitment to the cause began in 2020, the year George Floyd’s murder sparked a national outcry. The biggest beneficiary appears to be Tuskegee University, which received a $5 million grant from Feinberg’s foundation that year, one of the largest gifts ever for the historically Black school. A press release issued at the time said the money would go toward scholarships for needy students. The famously private Feinberg did not provide any quotes for the announcement, but his foundation issued a statement with no name attached to it. “We’re very pleased to honor our founder’s philanthropic vision,” it said, “with a grant that has real potential to advance racial equity in postsecondary education.” Money continued to pour in from Feinberg’s foundation over the ensuing years, eventually reaching about $20 million.

The investor also bankrolled a similar effort through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, to which he gave another $5 million in 2020. That organization then provided $8,500 a year to about 60 students, who had to be Black or of African descent to qualify. Another organization that received big money from Feinberg: the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, a nonprofit connected to the all-Democrat group on Capitol Hill. The Black caucus foundation helps with the Stephen Feinberg Multi-Year Scholarship Program, which provides African-American and Black undergrads with $10,000 a year for up to four years. Feinberg has now contributed at least $13 million to the group.

Asked about all of this—and how it jibed with Secretary Hegseth’s comments—a spokesperson for Feinberg issued a carefully worded statement that tried to make it seem like the defense department leaders are on the same page about DEI matters, without actually saying that explicitly. “Deputy Secretary Feinberg is fully aligned with Secretary Hegseth’s priorities,” the spokesperson, Eric Pahon, said in a statement. “His many charitable donations have gone to organizations that prioritize merit and performance to build a stronger America, and today he is working with Secretary Hegseth to advance those same values for a stronger military.”

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