During a campaign stop in South Carolina, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a former Navy lieutenant who fought in Iraq, pledged to begin “ripping all the woke out of the nation’s military” if he were to win the 2024 presidential election.
Speaking this week in Columbia, South Carolina, DeSantis unveiled his five-point “Mission First” strategy for eliminating leftist politics from the military services. Conservatives have harshly attacked the Pentagon under President Biden for its promotion of ideas like radical environmental activism, and transgender ideology, in addition to critical race theory, as well as for enforcing the COVID vaccination mandate and engaging in activities like organizing drag performances on military facilities.
DeSantis, who spent seven years in the military after graduating from Harvard Law School and worked as a legal advisor to SEAL Team One and Guantanamo Bay, declared that “the United States military has become infected by the woke mind virus. Great fighters are being pushed away as a result, and recruitment has never been lower since the Vietnam War’s draft was abolished.”
DeSantis focused on the fact that his former branch used an active-duty drag queen to represent one of the features of its online recruitment campaigns as an example of the issue. 2nd Class Navy Yeoman In a test project that lasted from October through March, Joshua Kelley, who identifies as being non-binary, was selected as the very first of five Navy Digital Ambassadors.
“China is having a good laugh in our faces as they see the United States Navy employing drag queens for recruiting people,” DeSantis claimed. “Our adversaries are sparking their interest. Do you understand the reason? Because they can see that America is losing focus. They observe how America prioritizes other goals before our country’s security. We require a military that is committed to being effective, prepared, and competent.”
DeSantis listed the most urgent problems he would address.
DeSantis stated, “First, we are going to acknowledge that this military has been making mistakes during recent years,” alluding to the vaccination requirement that caused thousands of service members to resign from the military. He promised that if DeSantis is elected as their commander-in-chief, he will reinstate them to their positions with back pay.
Second, according to DeSantis, the military must cease prioritizing social and environmental goals over its primary purpose.
“Lethality, preparedness, and capabilities must override political agendas such as the Green New Deal,” DeSantis declared, making reference to the drive for electric cars, which some claim compromises combat capabilities.
