Citing 'wokeness,' Pentagon cancels military fellowships at New England schools like MIT and Tufts

"They've replaced the study of victory and pragmatic realism with the promotion of wokeness and weakness. They've traded true intellectual rigor for radical dogma, sacrificing free expression for the suffocating confines of leftist ideology."

"The Pentagon identified a number of institutions as potential new partners, including a number of state schools like the University of Michigan and Arizona State University. Officials identified these institutions based on criteria like 'intellectual freedom' and 'minimal public expressions in opposition to the [Department of Defense].'"

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon's decision to discontinue fellowship programs for active-duty military personnel at elite institutions including MIT, Tufts, Brown, and Harvard. The policy, outlined in a memo, eliminates 93 fellowships across 22 institutions and one Canadian school, effective in the 2026-27 academic year. Hegseth criticized these universities for promoting "wokeness and weakness" instead of studying victory and pragmatic realism. The Pentagon identified alternative partner institutions, including state universities like the University of Michigan and Arizona State University, based on criteria including intellectual freedom and minimal public opposition to the Department of Defense. Current fellowship recipients will be permitted to complete their programs.

Read at Boston.com