It’s been a chaotic week inside the Pentagon, with high-profile exits making waves—and now, John Ullyot, a familiar face and top spokesman for the Department of Defense, is officially stepping down.
His resignation comes not long after a controversy involving baseball legend Jackie Robinson and a deleted military webpage sent shockwaves through both political and sports circles.
Ullyot Bows Out Amid DEI Controversy and Internal Turmoil
Ullyot announced on Wednesday that he’s leaving his post by the end of the week, explaining his role was never meant to be permanent.
According to him, he’d told Secretary Pete Hegseth long before the inauguration that he wasn’t interested in being second-in-command when it came to public affairs.
Apparently, the two couldn’t come to terms on another suitable role for him in the Department of Defense.
That was enough for Ullyot to decide it was time to move on.
A Webpage Disappearance That Sparked Nationwide Outrage
What really turned heads recently was Ullyot’s attempt to justify the Pentagon’s removal of a webpage detailing Jackie Robinson’s military history.
That page, once rich with details about Robinson’s service during World War II—including an incident where he refused to sit at the back of an Army bus—mysteriously vanished in March.
When people tried to access the page, they were met with an error message and an altered URL that strangely included the letters “DEI.”
The timing was suspicious, especially since other pages highlighting minority military heroes also disappeared.
The Pentagon claimed it was all a mistake—but the public wasn’t buying it.
Ullyot’s Explanation Only Fanned the Flames
Ullyot stood firm, even as critics piled on. In public statements, he said the Pentagon was simply following a new directive to scrub DEI—or “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”—content from its platforms.
He argued that heroes like Robinson should be honored for their service, not highlighted because of their race or identity.
“We don’t view these heroes through the lens of race or gender,” Ullyot insisted. “We honor them for their patriotism, like every other American who has served.”
But many, especially sports fans and civil rights advocates, felt that was missing the point.
Honoring minority contributions doesn’t diminish anyone else’s—it simply tells the full story.
Fallout from the Signal Group Chat Adds to Pentagon Pressure
Ullyot’s exit comes as the Pentagon deals with another mess: an internal investigation into leaked information shared in a private Signal messaging group.
That group reportedly included key national security officials and was even used to discuss potential military actions in Yemen.
Things got weirder when journalist Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic was accidentally added to the chat, exposing the whole thing.
Now, several top Pentagon staffers—like Darin Selnick, Dan Caldwell, and Colin Carroll—have been suspended or placed on administrative leave as part of the fallout.
An Administration Focused on Loyalty and Secrecy
The investigation appears to be part of a broader “clean-up” effort within the Department of Defense.
Sources told CNN that this feels like a purge—one that targets those who may have butted heads with the current Pentagon leadership.
President Trump has made it no secret he’s furious over leaks and is determined to find the sources.
Some of the people under investigation, like Caldwell, played influential roles in shaping defense strategy and communication, making their suspensions even more significant.
What Happens Next?
As the Pentagon continues to reel from both the internal investigation and ongoing DEI-related controversies, questions remain about what kind of leadership changes are still to come.
Ullyot might be stepping down, but the turbulence he leaves behind—especially when it comes to how military history is told and who gets to tell it—will likely be felt for some time.