The White House’s X account deleted a promotional video that falsely claimed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received “the Bronze Star Medal for valor.”
The Hegseth video came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that gave the Department of Defense the secondary title of “Department of War.” To celebrate the change, the White House posted a video boasting about Hegseth’s military record, calling him “an officer in the United States Army National Guard. A veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. Recipient of the Bronze Star medal for valor. A warrior. A leader. And a patriot.”
The video was taken down as soon as journalists debunked the claim that Hegseth had received the Bronze Star Medal for valor. Hegseth did receive two Bronze Star medals during his service—not for valor but for meritorious service, according to Associated Press journalist Konstantin Toropin.
The Bronze Star medal is considered the fourth-highest ranking award a service member can receive. It can be granted for valor, merit, and achievement.
Hegseth’s awards reflect commendable performance during his time serving, but medals of valor require acts of heroism during combat. The distinction is so significant that Bronze stars for valor are marked with a special “V.”
Users on social media have reposted the video to highlight the administration’s blunder.
“That video misleads the public, disrespects those who’ve earned valor citations, and weaponizes military honor for political branding,” one user said.
“Deleting the video was the right call, but it never should’ve been posted with that false claim to begin with. Words matter. Valor and meritorious service are not the same, especially to those who’ve actually risked their lives under fire. Pete inflating his record, even by mistake, disrespects those whose Bronze Stars were earned in the heat of battle,” another chimed in.
Hegseth has jumped on the “Department of War” bandwagon, touting the name change in a promo video while awkwardly reading from a script.
“This name change is not just about renaming; it’s about restoring,” Hegseth said. “It’s going to fight to win, not not to lose [sic]. We’re going to go on offense, not just on defense.”
The name change is a secondary title given that the president does not have the power to rename a government department. Congress must approve any name change.
