Pete Hegseth Renaming Harvey Milk Navy Ship Sparks Fury From Veterans Group
June 4, 2025
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Sophie Grace Clark is a Live News reporter based in London, with a focus on crime stories. She has also covered politics and entertainment extensively. Sophie joined Newsweek in 2024 from a freelance career and had previously worked at The Mail on Sunday, The Daily Star, OK Magazine, and MyLondon. She is a graduate of Middlebury College. You can get in touch with Sophie by emailing sg.clark@newsweek.com. Languages: English.
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Shane Croucher is a Breaking News Editor based in London, UK. He has previously overseen the My Turn, Fact Check and News teams, and was a Senior Reporter before that, mostly covering U.S. news and politics. Shane joined Newsweek in February 2018 from IBT UK where he held various editorial roles covering different beats, including general news, politics, economics, business, and property. He is a graduate of the University of Lincoln, England. Languages: English. You can reach Shane by emailing s.croucher@newsweek.com
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VoteVets accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of a “deliberate insult to LGBTQ” troops by renaming a U.S. Navy ship that had carried Harvey Milk’s name.
Milk served for four years in the Navy, during the Korean War, before he was forced out for being gay. He later became one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office and a famed civil rights activist. He was murdered in 1978.
“At the start of Pride Month, Pete Hegseth ordered the Navy to strip Harvey Milk’s name from a ship,” VoteVotes, a progressive veterans activist group, posted to X, formerly Twitter.
“A man who served with honor—erased to send a message. This is a deliberate insult to LGBTQ Troops and Americans that weakens our force and shreds the values we fight for.”
The renaming marks the latest move by Hegseth and the wider Trump administration to purge all programs, policies, books, and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Hegseth says he is reestablishing the “warrior culture” in America’s military.
This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers an address at the Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore on May 31, 2025. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers an address at the Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore on May 31, 2025. MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images
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