Hegseth has done it this time. He’s caused Democrats to throw a massive tantrum.
Because Pete Hegseth just gave one order that has Leftists completely melting down.
Navy Ordered to Reassess Ship Names in Push for Warrior Ethos
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Navy to reevaluate the names of several vessels, including those honoring figures like Harvey Milk, Harriet Tubman, and the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, according to various reports. This move signals a commitment to aligning military assets with the Trump administration’s focus on restoring a culture of strength and readiness.
In an internal memo obtained by CBS News, Navy Secretary John Phelan emphasized that the review aims to “reestablish the warrior culture” within the armed forces, a key priority for President Trump.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell reinforced this stance, stating, “Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all [Department of Defense] installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos.” He noted that any renaming decisions will be announced once internal reviews are finalized.
A small team, assembled by Phelan, is tasked with proposing new names, with a decision on the USNS Harvey Milk—a replenishment oiler—expected by the end of June, coinciding with g*y pride month, per the Associated Press.
Harvey Milk, a Korean War-era sailor, ater became one of America’s first openly g*y elected officials, serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.
Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated in 1978 by a former supervisor opposed to Milk’s anti-discrimination efforts. The USNS Harvey Milk, christened in 2021 under the Biden administration, is currently under maintenance in Alabama.
Political Backlash
The decision has sparked sharp criticism from some quarters. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the renaming “spiteful,” arguing that it “does not strengthen our national security or the ‘warrior’ ethos.”
She added, “Instead, it is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom echoed this sentiment on X, stating, “won’t erase his legacy as an American icon, but it does reveal Trump’s contempt for the very values our veterans fight to protect.”
Additional Ships Under Review
Other ships under review include the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Dolores Huerta, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Cesar Chavez, and USNS Medgar Evers, named after civil rights pioneers, judicial figures, and labor activists, according to CBS News and the New York Times.
Notably, at least one reference to the USNS Thurgood Marshall, honoring the first Black Supreme Court Justice, has reportedly already been taken off a Navy website.
While the Pentagon has not disclosed potential new names, renaming ships is not without precedent. In 2023, the Biden administration renamed the USS Chancellorsville, originally named for a Confederate victory, to honor Congressman Robert Smalls, a freed slave and Union sailor, and the USNS Maury, named for a Confederate sailor, to honor geologist Marie Tharp.
However, maritime tradition holds that renaming a vessel invites bad luck, adding a layer of complexity to the decision.
This initiative reflects a deliberate effort to ensure that the Navy’s symbols align with a vision of military heritage rooted in combat readiness and national pride.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
