Former Pentagon Spokesman Tied To Online Dei Purge Asked To Resign, Official Says

Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot was asked to resign this week following a contentious start for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's communications office, a senior defense official told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Ullyot was one of Hegseth's initial communications office hires and oversaw some of its most highly visible but controversial moves, including a broad edict to the military services to strip away online images that were considered a promotion of diversity, equity or inclusion.

That directive led to public outcry when images of national heroes like Jackie Robinson and others were removed. Ullyot told Politico on Wednesday he had come to the decision to resign. A senior defense official familiar with the decision said that wasn't the case and that Hegseth's office had requested that Ullyot resign.

Ullyot did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ullyot's departure Wednesday was not tied to the Defense Department's ongoing investigation into unauthorized disclosures of information, which so far has led to three other senior Pentagon aides being escorted out of the building.