When Secretary Hegseth Promotes a Woman, the Media Demotes the Story

Back at the end of April, my Twitchy colleague Doug reported that media coverage of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was 100% negative. For the first 100 days of the Trump administration, Hegseth received zero positive news stories. Even in June, when the Army reported a surge of 61,000 new recruits, the Washington Post was quick to minimize the accomplishment.

Democracy dies in darkness.

Or something.

So when someone sent me this story about Hegseth and Navy Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, who currently runs the Naval Academy, he told me to make note of the framing.

So I did. And I was not surprised at what I found.

Navy Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, the first female to serve as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy is being reassigned, the Defense Department announced Friday.
Davids was instead tapped to serve as deputy chief of naval operations, plans, strategy and warfighting development, according to a press release.
Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte was named to lead the Naval Academy in her place — making him the first Marine to lead the institution.
“The Naval Academy remains one of the most consequential institutions in American public life. It forges leaders of character, men and women of integrity, resilience, and intellect who will guide our Fleet and our Nation through the challenges of an increasingly contested world,” Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan said in a statement.

The language here is very intentional.

The Hill says Davis is being 'reassigned' -- which is technically true. But the tone of the word is, at best, meant to make the change sound like a lateral move.

Instead, Davis is being promoted.

She's going to become a Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (DCNO), a high-ranking position in the Navy. There are several DCNOs who focus on different areas, including Navy operations, personnel, and information warfare.

But the Leftist media cannot praise Hegseth, even slightly, so the narrative is out there, and here are a few examples:

Hegseth reassigns first female Naval Academy head. How uplifting for female plebes. Ignorant. Alcoholic. Misogynist. Hegseth checks all the boxes. Anchors away Pete. https://t.co/BNXGCaiP8E
— Karl Rosenfeld (@kneerecon) July 21, 2025

This is exactly the response the media wanted. They want people like Rosenfeld to believe Hegseth did something incredibly sexist by 'reassigning' Davis.

Here's another post that doesn't tell the whole truth:

A Marine Corps general has been nominated to lead the U.S. Naval Academy for the first time, replacing the first woman to serve as superintendent of the institution, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday.https://t.co/YyItSNw5Px
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) July 19, 2025

'Replacing the first woman' -- who was just promoted.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will replace the first woman to lead the U.S. Naval Academy and nominate a Marine Corps general to oversee the institution for the first time in its nearly 180-year history. https://t.co/q29lob9dkt
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 18, 2025

The Washington Post chimed in and is also obfuscating the truth behind this story, which is on-brand for WaPo.

This next one is even more egregious:

Hegseth Pulls Vice Admiral Yvette Davids From Top Spot at Naval Academy https://t.co/mXTG1FAXIh pic.twitter.com/UawMwv7Kcy
— SOFREP (@sofrepofficial) July 21, 2025

I know the story and that Davis was promoted, but anyone reading this headline would assume she was fired.

Hegseth moving first female superintendent of Naval Academy to new post https://t.co/VZfP7KsL78
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) July 19, 2025

Calling a major promotion a 'new post' is, again, technically correct. But it minimizes the reality of Davis' move.

Hegseth replaces Naval Academy superintendent, first woman to hold post
A man who gives away Military operations prior to its execution is not a person who should have the authority
to replace any career Military Officer, Man or Women!
He is unquailed person in administration pic.twitter.com/5XlpXf9urM
— Jesus Alonzo (@JesusAl12576573) July 18, 2025

This is the reaction the media hoped they'd get from this story. They wanted to paint Hegseth as a sexist who removed a woman from the Naval Academy to replace her with a man.

They want the outrage towards President Trump and Secretary Hegseth to continue throughout the next four years.

In their frenzy to create yet another anti-Trump/anti-Hegseth story, they're not only lying to the public; they're insulting Vice Admiral Yvette Davis.

Davis was just promoted to a high-ranking position in the Navy. She will be only the third woman to hold this position following Vice Admiral (Ret.) Jan E. Tighe and Vice Admiral Lisa Franchetti. That's quite the accomplishment, and one the media have completely shat upon in their hatred of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth.

If Joe Biden had done this, the media would be praising him for his focus on promoting women through the military ranks, his commitment to diversity and gender inclusion, and reminding us how the Democrats are the 'party of women.'

Reality, however, proves they are not.

And neither are their lickspittle allies in the media.