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Penta-Gone in 60 Seconds

Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot is being reassigned after his defense of a controversial anti-D.E.I. website purge sparked backlash, a rapid reversal, and a media firestorm.

Author

Oliver Darcy
March 20, 2025

The Pentagon. (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

On Thursday, just a day after the Department of Defense abruptly deleted and later reinstated a series of webpages detailing the military service of civil rights icon Jackie Robinson and other notable U.S. service members, word spread through the Pentagon that the spokesperson who initially justified the startling removals appeared to have faced some consequences.

According to people briefed on the matter, John Ullyot, the Department of Defense spokesperson known for spearheading some of the Pentagon’s most restrictive media policies during Donald Trump's nascent administration, is set to be reassigned in the wake of the highly-visible blunder.

Ullyot did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did a spokesperson for the Pentagon. It's unclear where Ullyot will be reassigned, but it is not expected to be in a public facing role. In other words, he will no longer interface with the press.

There is some suspicion that…

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