A senior official in the US department of defence allegedly told a military leader that US President Donald Trump does not “want to stand next to a Black female officer” at military events, according to a report in The New York Times.The comment is linked to a dispute over promotions within the US Army’s officer corps. Secretary of defence Pete Hegseth reportedly removed four officers from a list of candidates for promotion to one‑star general. Two of those officers were Black and two were women.Promotion lists like these are created by senior military boards and are typically considered confidential until approved. In this case, Hegseth’s move was criticised by some army leaders who questioned whether the decision was appropriate or lawful.According to the NYT report, the row deepened last year during a disagreement between Ricky Buria, Hegseth’s chief of staff, and Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll. The clash was over another officer’s promotion. It was during that exchange that Buria allegedly said the US president would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at military events.Driscoll was reportedly taken aback by the comment and rejected the suggestion, telling Buria that “the president is not a racist or sexist,” NYT reported. Driscoll later raised the issue with a senior White House official.One of the officers affected by the promotion list change, Major General Antoinette R. Gant, was later appointed to a different command and promoted to a two‑star rank.Hegseth’s office has denied that the comments about the president were made. A spokesperson for his chief of staff described the allegation as “completely false” and said it was intended to create division within the department.The Pentagon has not issued a public statement addressing the specific allegations about the president’s preferences or the promotional decisions.