Pentagon installed Adm. Daryl Caudle as Chief of Naval Operations after he signaled loyalty to Hegseth's anti-diversity agenda

On August 25, 2025, Admiral Daryl Caudle was sworn in as the 34th Chief of Naval Operations, completing a selection process that a New York Times investigation would later reveal was driven by political loyalty to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth rather than professional merit. Caudle, who had served as head of U.S. Fleet Forces Command since December 2021, became the Navy's top officer after filling a six-month vacancy created when Hegseth fired his predecessor, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, in February 2025 — part of a broader purge of senior military leadership in the opening weeks of the second Trump administration.

The Times investigation, published July 26, 2026, found that Caudle had signaled support for Hegseth's anti-diversity agenda during the selection process, and that Tim Parlatore — Hegseth's personal attorney and a Pentagon special adviser — had represented Caudle during the promotion process. When Representative Jason Crow asked Hegseth in congressional testimony whether Parlatore had represented any officers seeking promotions from him, Hegseth stated "He doesn't represent anyone" — a denial the Times investigation found to be false.

Caudle's appointment exemplified a pattern of politicized military selection under Hegseth, who eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion programs from the armed forces and used the promotion process as a vehicle for installing officers aligned with his ideological priorities. The selection of service chiefs and senior flag officers — positions confirmed by the Senate and governed by Title 10 criteria requiring military qualifications — was redirected to reward personal loyalty to the Secretary of Defense's political agenda.