DOD says it sought resignation of official at center of DEI overhaul
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Former top Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot "was asked to resign," a Defense Department official said in an emailed statement on Thursday evening.
Friction point: Despite this announcement, Ullyot maintains he offered his resignation, telling Axios late Thursday that "DoD officials who hide behind anonymous statements clearly resent that they did not have the access or relationship to Secretary [Pete] Hegseth that I enjoyed under President Trump's leadership."
- He added in his emailed statement: "Their sour-grapes anonymous spin is as inaccurate as it is laughable."
However, an internal Pentagon email sent on Wednesday evening and shared with Axios states that Ullyot was, in fact, "asked to submit his resignation" and that his "building access" should be immediately revoked and his devices disconnected.
- Ullyot's resignation comes during a staffing overhaul at the Pentagon that saw three politically appointed senior aides to Hegseth placed on administrative leave amidst an investigation into Defense Department leaks.
- Representatives for the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Ullyot's claim and have not offered an official explanation for his departure.
The big picture: Politico first reported on Wednesday that Ullyot would leave the Pentagon on Friday and AP first reported on Thursday's announcement and the former Pentagon press secretary's denial that he was asked to resign.
- Ullyot oversaw responses to outrage at the Defense Department's removal — and subsequent restoration — of webpages related to baseball and civil rights legend Jackie Robinson and the Navajo Code Talkers as part of a Trump administration crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
- The Marine veteran also held senior roles in the first Trump administration and served in a top communications role during the president's 2016 campaign.
Read former top Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot's resignation letter that he shared with AP, via DocumentCloud:
Editor's note: This article was updated with comment from former Pentagon press secretary John Ullyot and further context. It was later updated again after Axios obtained an email referring to Ullyot's resignation.
