PENTAGON TO SEVER TIES WITH COLUMBIA, YALE, BROWN, AND OTHERS AS HEGSETH CITES 'WOKENESS".(PHOTO).

 Pentagon to sever ties with Columbia, Yale, Brown, and others as Hegseth cites 'wokeness"

The Pentagon announced that beginning next school year, members of the U.S. military will be prohibited from attending Columbia, Yale, Brown, Princeton, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, along with several other institutions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled the policy in a video message, accusing the universities of fostering what he described as anti-American sentiment and ideology incompatible with military values. He called for the “complete and immediate cancellation” of Defense Department attendance at the named schools, arguing that elite institutions have benefited from taxpayer dollars while promoting what he labeled as “wokeness and weakness” instead of pragmatic leadership and a focus on victory.

The directive follows an earlier move targeting Harvard University, where restrictions were placed on military participation in certain graduate-level professional education programs, fellowships and certificates. The military has traditionally provided officers opportunities to pursue advanced degrees both at its own war colleges and at civilian universities through tuition assistance programs. The decision comes amid broader tensions between the Trump administration and several Ivy League campuses, which the president has criticized for embracing progressive ideology. While some universities have reached agreements with the administration to restore federal funding after complying with certain demands, others are contesting the actions in court, arguing that the federal government is retaliating against them over ideological differences.