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U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
The Defense secretary did not receive a warm welcome on his first foreign trip.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was met with boos and heckling upon his arrival at U.S. European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, on Tuesday, as military families protested his policies targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and transgender service members.
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NBC News reports that about two dozen demonstrators, many of whom live on the base, gathered at the entrance of the military installation. Protesters repeatedly chanted “DEI” in response to Hegseth’s recent decision to ban certain learning materials from Department of Defense schools, including those covering psychology and immigration. The Department of Defense Education Activity operates American schools around the world that the children of U.S. service members and civilian contractors attend.
Related: Trump Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth enacts harshest anti-trans military policies yet
At least one protester held a rainbow umbrella, appearing to signal support for the LGBTQ+ community — one of Hegseth’s primary targets. The Defense secretary has recently implemented sweeping restrictions on transgender service members, including banning their enlistment and halting gender-affirming medical procedures for those on active duty.
“Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused,” Hegseth wrote in a memorandum. “All unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for service members are paused.”
Hegseth’s weeklong trip to Europe includes stops in Belgium and Poland, where he will meet with U.S. and allied leaders to discuss military readiness and strategic partnerships. His itinerary includes attending the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting as well as a bilateral meeting with Polish officials. The trip comes amid growing uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s stance on U.S. military commitments in Europe, with allies bracing for potential reductions in American troop presence in the region.
Related: Senate Republicans deflect Democrats’ tough Pete Hegseth questions by making transgender people a joke
The protest in Stuttgart marks a rare public display of opposition from military families toward a sitting Defense secretary. Hegseth, a former Fox News host and an Iraq War veteran was confirmed by a narrow Senate vote, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie. His nomination was controversial because of his past comments opposing women in combat roles and multiple reports of alleged financial mismanagement and personal sexual misconduct.
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Campaign and Lambda Legal, have filed lawsuits challenging Hegseth’s transgender military ban, arguing that it violates constitutional protections under the Fifth and First Amendments.
