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By Mandy Taheri
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John Ullyot is leaving his top communications role at the Pentagon, he told Newsweek.
"I informed [Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth] him yesterday that I will be leaving at the end of this week," he said in a statement emailed to Newsweek on Thursday.
However, a defense official told Newsweek,"John Ullyot was asked to resign."
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The Context
Ullyot was among the first communications hires under Hegseth and played a central role in several high-profile and contentious decisions, including a sweeping directive instructing military services to remove online images perceived as promoting diversity, equity, or inclusion (DEI).
The move sparked widespread backlash, especially after images and articles of national figures like baseball legend Jackie Robinson were taken down. In mid-March, the webpage's URL included "dei" and led to a "404 - Page not found" message when Newsweek accessed it, indicating it was taken down as part of a purge of online content the Trump administration considers related to DEI.
Following the Robinson incident, Ullyot sent out a Pentagon statement that said, according to ESPN: "DEI is dead at the Defense Department" adding that the department was "pleased by the rapid compliance." Shortly after, other correspondences recognized Robinson's military record and patriotism, with the story active again within hours.
Ullyot told Newsweek that he still backs Hegseth despite his departure from the top communications role, saying: "It's been an honor to serve alongside him as part of President Trump's team, and I remain one of the secretary's strongest supporters going forward."
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What To Know
Ullyot was working as acting assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs. In February, Sean Parnell was named the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, which sidelined Ullyot a bit.
He first told Politico on Wednesday: "I made clear to Secretary [Pete] Hegseth before the inauguration that I was not interested in being number two to anyone in public affairs."
In the statement shared with Newsweek, he said he told Hegseth that "I would be happy to stand up the Pentagon press operation on an acting basis for two months and get President Trump's pick up to speed once he came on board."
The statement continued: "Last month, as that time approached, the Secretary and I talked and could not come to an agreement on another good fit for me at DoD, so I informed him yesterday that I will be leaving at the end of this week."
In a statement emailed to Newsweek on Thursday, a defense official said that "Ullyot was asked to resign." The Associated Press also reported that Ullyot was asked to step down from his post.
His latest role continues a long history of supporting the Trump administration, beginning as deputy political director for communications on the 2016 campaign.
The top Department of Defense role marked the Marine Corps veteran and Harvard graduate's second stint in a Trump administration, having previously served as head of communications at the National Security Council in 2019 to early 2021. He served as assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 2017 to 2019.
Prior to joining the Trump administration, Ullyot worked as acting global head of relations at DuPont, managing director of High Lantern Group, and senior vice president of global corporate practice at Hill + Knowlton Strategies.
He worked as the director of communications on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services for four years, from 2003 to 2007, and in a similar role on the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs from 1996 to 1999, according to his LinkedIn.
What Happens Next
The communications shakeup comes amid a turbulent period at the Pentagon, with three senior DOD officials on administrative leave during an investigation into a Signal group chat that allegedly revealed U.S. military plans in Yemen to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.
Update 4/17/25, 4:19 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from the Pentagon.
Update 4/17/25, 2:30 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from Ullyot.
Update 4/17/25, 1:10 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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