WASHINGTON — Pentagon leaders slated to speak at this week’s Aspen Security Forum have dropped out just hours before the start of the conference, with the department stating that the event is not “aligned” with the goals of the administration.
“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,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “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 Security Forum is one of the most high-profile national security events on the calendar, with participation that typically includes senior Pentagon leaders, service chiefs, other top officials from organizations like the State Department and the National Security Council, as well as foreign defense leaders.
A search on DVIDS shows photos of key Pentagon figures being interviewed at Aspen, as far back as then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen in 2010. That includes during the first Trump administration, where then-Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford and former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper were both speakers.
News of the Pentagon’s withdrawal from the conference was first reported by the right-leaning website Just the News, which stated that department leaders were pulled from the event because former officials from the Biden administration who have been critical of President Donald Trump were also slated to speak.
“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,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told Just the News. “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.”
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Former administration leaders of varying political stripes are a mainstay of Aspen Security Forum, with 2024’s agenda including participation from speakers from former officials from the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations.
In a statement released late Monday, the Aspen Institute said, “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. This year, we extended invitations to senior Trump administration officials, including several cabinet-level leaders.
“Today the Department of Defense gave their speakers guidance that they ‘will no longer be participating.’ It is unfortunate that the Pentagon has chosen not to participate, but our invitations remain open,” the statement reads.
“We are honored to host dozens of top national security voices, experts, business leaders and innovators, from across the political spectrum—and from across the world—at this year’s Forum. The Aspen Security Forum remains committed to providing a platform for informed, non-partisan debate about the most important security challenges facing the world.”
Updated 7/14/25 at 3:56 pm ET with statement from Aspen.