Army sides with Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz over its own general

Army sides with Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz over General Patrick Donahoe on social media tweets defending female soldiers and Covid vaccines, playing into politics while claiming the opposite.

After Fox News host Tucker Carlson took to the airwaves to ridicule female service members, an Army general defended the tens of thousands of women in the ranks in a social media post. But instead of receiving praise for standing up for those in uniform, the general has had his retirement delayed and now reportedly faces the possibility of censure and other punishment. 

Though the military’s inspector general’s report into Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe and his social media posts hasn’t been made public, Haley Britzky of the defense news outlet Task and Purpose and defense analyst Max Boot, writing for The Washington Post, recently got access to the document. They both said that Donahoe did not respond to their requests for comment.

Based on their reporting, the document rebukes Donahoe for statements in behalf of female soldiers — as well as others defending long-standing military vaccination policies — that have brought “negative publicity” to the military. It also assesses that he “failed to display Army values and core leader competencies.”

Tucker Carlson ramps fears over 'The End of Men'April 24, 202203:57This fear of stirring up controversy is, ironically, generating infinitely worse publicity than the general’s public support of subordinates. More troubling is that the investigation apparently cited a complaint from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who accused Donahoe and other senior officers of “systematic, public attacks against television host Tucker Carlson that in substance, tone, and political resonance are inexplicably inappropriate.” He also claimed, “This spectacle risks politicizing the military.”

The Army is essentially broadcasting that it may kowtow to disingenuous partisan attacks rather than defend its own troops and their leaders. Moreover, the response indicates the Defense Department has a massive blind spot when it comes to its evolving role in the policy and strategy debates in Washington and beyond; it apparently believes the proper response to outrageous attacks on its personnel is to yield the terrain.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/army-sides-tucker-carlson-ted-cruz-general-rcna51720

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