“Make It Make Sense”: Shontel Brown Says Pete Hegseth “Blocked Black Women From Getting Promoted” in the Military but Then “Gave Positions to MAGA Influencers”

Congresswoman Shontel Brown opens up about military meritocracy and reacts to Pete Hegseth giving positions to MAGA influencers.

On November 10, 2026, Representative Shontel Brown reacted to an article from The Washington Post about Secretary Pete Hegseth installing military influencers in civilian roles. The Post’s reporting described Black women officers being blocked from advancement and MAGA influencers being placed in Pentagon roles.

“He blocked Black women from getting promoted, he claimed it was because the military is a meritocracy. But then he gave positions to MAGA influencers… Make it make sense.”

Brown has represented Ohio’s 11th Congressional District, anchored in Cleveland, since a 2021 special election. She chaired the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party before that, the first Black woman to hold the post. Her criticism draws on Washington Post reporting that Hegseth struck officers from promotion lists already approved by review boards. About half of those officers were women or minorities, the paper found.

Also Read: “The Iran War Is Through No Fault of His Own and He Should Not Be the One Scapegoated for It”: Nancy Mace Says She Will Not Vote To Impeach Hegseth

Congresswoman Shontel Brown Accuses Pete Hegseth of Favoring MAGA Influencers Over Qualified Military Officers

The Washington Post named retired colonels Rob Maness and Kurt Schlichter, both holders of “.civ” Pentagon email addresses. Those addresses sit in Anthony Tata’s personnel office. Maness wants “disloyal” Pentagon staff removed; Schlichter called Trump a “hero.” Neither disclosed the arrangement publicly. Hegseth’s Pentagon press conference on November 10 fit the same pattern for Brown. He told reporters that critics attack him for winning conflicts, not losing them. Republicans sent Massie’s eight articles to committee, 211 to 204. She reads one rule for allies and another for officers.

Her post ends with a request rather than a verdict. Brown says the decisions do not fit together, and she asks Hegseth to explain them. The Pentagon has not publicly responded to her claim.

Read More: Chris Van Hollen: “While People Across the Country Could Barely Make Ends Meet, Trump Made $1.4 BILLION From His Crypto Schemes Alone Last Year”