Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of The View, criticized Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for his remarks about military culture during the 2026 commencement ceremony for Army graduates, asking, “Does he not know his history? Does he not know there was a time when women couldn’t get into that school?”
In his commencement address, Hegseth framed military readiness and ideology in stark terms, arguing against what he characterized as politicization within the armed forces.
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“They hired professors who advocated for anti-American ideologies right here in these halls,” Hegseth said at the United States Military Academy 2026 Graduation Ceremony on Saturday. “But no more. The battlefield does not grade on a curve, and you can’t throw your pronouns at the enemy. Combat is the ultimate test, and our best Americans must ace it.”
His remarks sparked immediate discussion among the hosts of The View, who focused on the military’s diversity and questioned the implications of his framing.
“I just want to remind everyone that the military, as you saw, is diverse, OK?” Goldberg said during the show’s “Hot Topics” segment on Monday. “Women currently make up more than 21% of active-duty force, latest data shows that the military is roughly about 20% black, 19% Hispanic, 7% Asian.”
“I’m not sure what his message was. He’s looking at a diverse military, he’s looking at a diverse military,” Goldberg continued. “Does he remember a time when they maybe had one black student? In 50 years, does he not know this? Can it be he doesn’t know his history? What is the problem?”
Goldberg became more direct in her criticism with additional comments from her co-hosts Joy Behar and Sara Haines. “He’s not stupid,” Behar said.
“Well… is he just… dumb?” Goldberg said.
HEGSETH PRAISES WEST POINT CADETS AS ‘NOT AN ARMY OF WOKE’ IN COMMENCEMENT SPEECH
“Willfully ignorant, probably combined with a little, just regular ignorant,” Haines said.
“He seems to be at war with pronouns instead of Iran,” Behar said.
