Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in a video on X that the Department of Defense has “put Scouting America on notice,” giving the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts six months before the Pentagon will reevaluate their relationship. Hegseth framed the move as a demand that Scouting align with the Trump administration’s opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Hegseth said Scouting America had “lost their way” after changing its name, diluted its focus on God, and embraced what he characterized as an “insidious, radical, woke ideology” he called anti-American. He said he would prefer the organization to return to an all-male membership, arguing the Boy Scouts should revert to their original mission of developing boys into men.
The announcement followed weeks of tension after a January meeting in which Hegseth pressed Scouting to revert to the Boy Scouts name and to remove roughly 200,000 girls from membership. Scouting America CEO Roger Krone told NPR he expected the board would not make those changes, saying the organization intends to serve “the entire family” and that including girls is part of that mission.
Scouting leaders offered several concessions short of renaming or expelling girls: dropping a Citizenship in Society merit badge created after George Floyd’s killing, adding a Military Service merit badge, waiving membership fees for military families, and holding a public rededication emphasizing duty to God, country and service. Officials said those changes were planned independently of Pentagon pressure, and that members and alumni lobbied to preserve the decades-old partnership with the military.
Hegseth repeated longstanding criticisms that Scouting has accommodated progressive politics, saying the organization “no longer supported and celebrated boys” and had “welcomed the destructive myth of gender fluidity and transgenderism.” He announced that Scouting America would modify its policy to state membership is based on biological sex at birth and that applications would include only “male” and “female” designations matching birth certificates. Krone noted Scouting’s application already asks for two sex categories and said the information is used to safeguard children in settings such as tenting and bathrooms. Krone also pointed to stricter safety rules introduced after sexual abuse revelations and a $2.46 billion victim compensation fund.
Had the Pentagon severed ties, consequences would have included barring scout meetings on military bases, withdrawing military medical and logistical support for the quadrennial Scout Jamboree, and ending coordination that allows Eagle Scouts to enlist at an advanced rank and pay. NPR reported the Pentagon had drafted internal notifications to congressional Armed Services Committees to justify withdrawing Jamboree support, arguing that providing help could threaten national security.
Hegseth’s decision to delay action for six months was a partial retreat amid backlash, including criticism from some Republicans; Rep. Don Bacon called the plan “up there” among dumb ideas. For now, base access for Scout troops will continue and Jamboree assistance remains planned, including recruitment coordination. Hegseth emphasized Scouting’s historical ties to the military and civic leadership, noting that six Boy Scouts have been elected president and that 11 of the 12 men who walked on the Moon were Boy Scouts.