Opinion: Trump’s War on Military Minds

Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler’s infamous manifesto, remains available to cadets at the U.S. Naval Academy. Beloved by Toni Morrison does not. The U.S. Naval Academy removed 381 titles from its Nimitz Library in April of 2025 at the request of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, following orders from the Trump administration. Titles that discuss race, gender, and American history have been targeted and pulled from library shelves. The message is unmistakably clear: ideas promoting empathy, self-reflection, or different perspectives are more dangerous than fascist propaganda.

This book purge is not an isolated event by the administration, but part of a large campaign to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Trump has already signed multiple executive orders that have mandated the termination of these offices. These moves have already prompted many private companies such as Boeing, Target, and Coca-Cola to either significantly reduce or eliminate their own DEI programs.

Forcing the removal of books at the Naval Academy reflects just a part of the administration’s broader agenda to eliminate DEI materials across federal institutions, including military academies, Department of Defense libraries, and even K-12 schools serving military families abroad. The Pentagon has directed top leadership to remove books promoting DEI or “gender ideology,” labeling them as incompatible with the institution’s mission.

Critics argue that such censorship undermines the intellectual strength and resilience of military personnel, who are now restricted from understanding and critically examining America’s complex past and current dynamics. Removing these books represents an attempt to control what histories become marked as legitimate and, in the process, likely erasing significant narratives and stories from public memory.

With such strong efforts by Trump to ban books, one might think that there must be strong support for these actions. However, the large majority of voters don’t support book banning. According to the American Library Association, over 75% of democrats and 70% of republican voters oppose having books removed from libraries. So why is the Trump administration so aggressively pushing these book bans? While the administration frames this as a return to “merit-based” evaluation and an effort to eliminate “woke” propaganda, there could be hidden reasons for these aggressive reactions. Removing books allows the administration to maintain a tight control on the curriculum at these institutions and can limit student’s exposure to perspectives that challenge the dominant narrative. This could shape a generation of soldiers and civilians that follow their superiors orders without properly engaging in critical thinking, allowing them to be more easily influenced and controlled by their superiors.

In response to the removal of books from Nimitz Library, local communities and alumni have moved to counteract and push back against these bans. In Annapolis, Maryland, residents and former Naval Academy graduates have raised almost $67,000 to provide access to the removed books, emphasizing the importance of preserving diverse literature. “Banning books, removing them from the library, is a complete contradiction to everything the Naval Academy stands for,” said William Marks, a 1996 graduate and former Academy spokesman. “We’re entrusting these midshipmen to be the leaders of our Navy and Marine Corps.”

As students and educators, it’s critical to recognize the value in having diverse perspectives and how that diversity encourages critical thinking and understanding. Removing these books from these educational spaces not only denies access to different narratives but also challenges the foundational principles of education and freedom. Exposure to a wide range of ideas, even those that are uncomfortable or challenging, is essential for personal growth and societal progress. The actions by the Trump administration serve as a reminder of the ongoing debates surrounding censorship and the role of education in a democratic society. It’s crucial to advocate for intellectual freedom and ensure that educational institutions remain spaces where diverse voices and histories are heard and respected.