This story has been updated with a statement from the Aspen Institute.
The Pentagon abruptly pulled several of its top officials from speaking this week at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, saying Monday the forum’s organizers do not share values with the Defense Department.
“Senior Department of Defense officials will no longer be participating at the Aspen Security Forum because their values do not align with the values of the DOD,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to Defense News. “The department will remain strong in its focus to increase the lethality of our warfighters, revitalize the warrior ethos, and project peace through strength on the world stage. It is clear the ASF is not in alignment with these goals.”
The Aspen Institute, which stages the forum every summer, said in a statement to Defense News that it sought to include top leaders from President Donald Trump’s administration in its discussions on national security, and that the canceled speakers are still welcome there.
The institute describes itself as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that aims to create “a free, just and equitable society.”
“For more than a decade, the Aspen Security Forum has welcomed senior officials — Republican and Democrat, civilian and military — as well as senior foreign officials and experts, who bring experience and diverse perspectives on matters of national security," the institute said. “This year, we extended invitations to senior Trump administration officials, including several cabinet-level leaders. ... We will miss the participation of the Pentagon, but our invitations remain open.”
For years, top generals and defense officials have appeared at the Aspen Security Forum for wide-ranging discussions on topics including the global security environment and the Pentagon’s highest priorities.
This year’s forum, which begins Tuesday, had expected to host multiple top generals, admirals and defense officials, including Navy Secretary John Phelan, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command head Adm. Samuel Paparo, U.S. Special Operations Command head Army Gen. Bryan Fenton, U.S. Space Command head Gen. Stephen Whiting and U.S. Transportation Command head Air Force Gen. Randall Reed.
Also scheduled to speak this week were Army Lt. Gen. John Brennan, deputy commander of U.S. Africa Command; Defense Intelligence Agency director Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeff Kruse; National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency director Vice Adm. Trey Whitworth; and Defense Innovation Unit director Doug Beck.
The officials were slated to discuss topics ranging from the the evolution of warfare to security and strategy in Africa, to artificial intelligence and national security and adopting commercial technology for warfighting, among others.
The digital news publication Just the News, which first reported the Pentagon’s withdrawal of speakers from the Aspen forum, quoted Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson as denouncing the Aspen Institute as an organization that backs “the evil of globalism.”
“The Department of Defense has no interest in legitimizing an organization that has invited former officials who have been the architects of chaos abroad and failure at home,” Just the News quoted Wilson as saying. “They are antithetical to the America First values of this administration. Senior representatives of the Department of Defense will no longer be participating in an event that promotes the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country, and hatred for the President of the United States.”
The forum runs from Tuesday through Friday and is expected to conclude with a roundtable discussion between former secretary of state and current co-chair of the Aspen Strategy Group Condoleezza Rice, former defense secretary Robert Gates and former national security advisor Jake Sullivan, who served in the Biden administration and is a vocal critic of Trump.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
