By Bronson Winslow, VMI ’21| Restoration News
After regaining full control of Virginia’s government in November, Democrats swiftly abandoned their carefully cultivated image of moderation.
Already by January they had begun advancing sweeping ideological priorities, with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates at the forefront. Among their most prominent targets was the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), an institution deeply entrenched in the history of Virginia.
The decision to target VMI was not made on a whim. It was the continuation of a “progressive” war started by former Gov. Ralph Northam (D), himself a VMI alumnus who called for an independent investigation into the school in 2020, spurred by a Washington Post article claiming the school promoted a racist and sexist environment.
Unsurprisingly to those of us who know VMI well, the investigation concluded that “VMI has no explicitly racist or sexist policies that it enforces,” and further stated, “the investigation did not identify conclusive violations of Title VI or Title IX.” Despite this, the report alleges “an overall racist and sexist culture” at VMI—and Democrats ran with it.
The methodology was flawed from the start, as it relied on nonprobability survey data, voluntary interviews, and perception-based answers when drawing its conclusions. But authenticity has never mattered to “progressive” stalwarts—after all, it gave them the ammo they needed.
Now that Democrats have reclaimed power in Virginia, that ammo is being reloaded into the gun they hope will end the prestigious institution for good.
Radical Virginia Democrats are threatening to close the historic Virginia Military Institute (VMI).
Since 1839, VMI has produced some of the greatest leaders in the history of our country.
Now, Virginia Democrats are threatening to pull the school’s funding.
I am proud to… pic.twitter.com/RBknML69ov
— Congressman John McGuire (@RepJohnMcGuire) February 4, 2026
Democrats Attempt to Close VMI
As an alumnus of the Class of ’21, my brother “rats” and I know all too well the difference between reform and dismantling.
One sharpens the blade. The other melts it down.
In January 2026, Democrats introduced HB 1374 and HB 1377 with one goal in mind: Finish the hit job former Gov. Northam began in 2020.
The legislation would have transferred governance of VMI to the Board of Visitors at Virginia State University (VSU), a Historically Black College. The legislature also sought a task force to “determine whether Virginia Military Institute should continue to be a state-sponsored institution of higher education” at all—in other words, to defund one of Virginia’s most important schools.
Both bills in their original texts did not pass.
We should read these bills as a political chess move: Moving the “Overton Window,” a strategy where lawmakers introduce an extreme bill to make previously “unacceptable” policies seem reasonable by comparison.
While Democrats would have undoubtedly loved to pass those bills as they were first written, it is plausible they knew their attempts to shutter a historic college and key source of commissioned military officers would not stand—or at least go unnoticed.
And they were right.
After HB 1374 and HB 1377 were introduced, Pete Hegseth’s Department of War issued a strong warning to Democrats in Richmond: If they didn’t back down, there would be severe consequences.
“The Department of War is monitoring Virginia House Bill 1374, focused on the governance of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), with significant concern,” said Department of War spokesperson Sean Parnell. “For generations, the unique military environment at VMI has made the Institute a vital source of commissioned officers for the Armed Forces.
A Trojan Horse
That put enough pressure on Virginia Democrats to force them to soften the bills, something many VMI supporters— including VMI Superintendent Lt. Gen. David J. Furness ’87—hail as a victory. “VMI is pleased to offer its support of HB1377 as amended on the floor of the House of Delegates today. We are appreciative to the House of Delegates for their bipartisan efforts to amend the bill to remove references threatening VMI’s state funding,” said Furness.
But that’s missing the bigger picture. This legislation is a trojan horse designed to destroy VMI from the inside. The fight isn’t over because the Democrats’ mission remains the same. They’re still moving the Overton Window.
While HB 1377 no longer calls for the legislature to “determine” if VMI should receive funding (read: attempt to shut it down), it now calls for a task force to “examine” higher education. The task force seeks to ensure VMI “distances itself from the Lost Cause” and “ends celebration of the Confederacy”—but that’s cover designed to bring more DEI policies into an institution that currently runs on merit.
This is not a new tactic. The “progressive” mob deals with all complex issues the same—by simply scrubbing out the history.
VMI is older than the Civil War and has produced heroes who fought in virtually every American war since1839. Reducing VMI to a “Confederate” school is the easiest way for Democrats to dismantle anything that fights against the never-ending onslaught of DEI policies.
The second bill, HB 1374, creates even more issues for VMI down the road, as it waters down the VMI Board of Visitors. The legislation now states the board will consist of 17 members, 16 appointed by the governor and one by the Adjutant General. Of those members, no more than eight can be VMI alumni, at least six must be non-alumni Virginia residents, and at least five must have U.S. military experience.
By limiting the number of alumni who can sit on the board, the General Assembly makes it very clear they do not want those who understand the system of VMI making decisions that support the Corps. They want full power to change the fabric of the school.
A Sacred Institution
For nearly two centuries, VMI has stood apart in American higher education—not as a place of comfort or conformity, but as an institution rooted in tradition, service, and the belief that character is forged, not affirmed. It is impossible for Democrats in Richmond who have not walked through the system to understand what makes VMI so special.
For too long the relentless attacks from “progressive” lawmakers have been wrapped in the veneer of “changing VMI for the better.” But for those of us who know the school intimately—who’ve walked its halls and trusted the system—it’s clear hey do no seek what is in the best interest of VMI. After all, change at VMI is not new.
The Corps integrated women in 1997 without sacrificing excellence. Generations adapted without surrendering the central premise: that citizenship requires self-command, and leadership begins with submission to standards you did not invent.
There is no room for equity in an environment that uses stress, structure, and honor to refine young adults into strong individuals of character. Everyone starts at the same place, and only through hard work do they advance.
These values are the very reason “progressive” bureaucrats in Richmond wish to dismantle such an unprecedented institution. The school consistently produces strong men and women who refute the cesspool of modern American standards.
It creates true leaders who reject the softness of equity while pushing forward toward genuine equality.
And for this, we must continue to fight.
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Bronson Winslow is an Investigative Researcher for Restoration News specializing in gun rights and criminal justice policy. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute and previously wrote for the Daily Caller. He publishes regularly at American Greatness. Email Bronson HERE
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