A recently unearthed video clip of Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, shows the former Army National Guard officer openly allowing LGBTQ service members to serve and encouraging women to serve in combat roles. The footage shows him lamenting that allowing this would undermine military discipline.
Hegseth, a former Fox News contributor, made the comments during an appearance on the network’s show in 2015. red eye program. (meidas touch news During the panel discussion, Hegseth accused military leaders under former President Barack Obama of engaging in “social engineering” by promoting greater inclusivity instead of improving national security. did.
“What you’re seeing is that the military is now more interested in social engineering led by the president than in war,” Hegseth said. “As a result, through ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ women in the military, and these standards, they will inevitably start to erode standards, because they want one female special operator, that one female. The Green Berets, the one-woman Army Rangers, the one-woman Navy SEALs can feel good about themselves by putting them on recruiting posters and have nothing to do with national security. ”
Hegseth made his comments five years after President Obama signed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The law, which was in place from 1994 to 2010, was a compromise between Bill Clinton and conservative Congress, allowing LGB employees to change their sexual orientation in exchange, at least in theory, if not in practice. They said they couldn’t ask about it. Failing to reveal your identity to your superiors or fellow soldiers.
Service members who violated the policy, or in many cases found themselves targeted by anti-LGBTQ enemies within the military, were forced out of the military, with 13,000 ultimately being discharged and losing benefits in the process. Ta.
Similarly, it was the Obama administration, led by former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, that lifted the ban on military women serving in combat roles. However, these changes have not been accepted by those with more traditional views and those who believe that women lack the strength and stamina to meet the physical fitness requirements of various military branches.
Some senators balked at Hegseth’s comments about women in combat roles, arguing that his views were sexist, outdated and called into question the ability of women to lead military forces in which they serve. are.
He has since I backed away or tried to clarify. Some of his comments. His supporters say he supports military service for women but believes most women are not capable of meeting the requirements for combat missions and elite units.
Hegseth is also reportedly facing intense scrutiny for paying an undisclosed amount to a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her at a Republican event in California in 2017. USA Today.
He has also been accused of misconduct that led to his expulsion from a veterans charity, and he reportedly raised concerns among some colleagues at Fox News over his alleged alcohol abuse. .
While most of the anger surrounding his nomination is rooted in his comments about women in the military, Hegseth has recently come under fire for his views on LGBTQ rights and criticism of the Obama administration for abolishing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t” system. is bathed in please tell me. ”
According to Key points memoHegseth has held anti-LGBTQ views since his college days in the early 2000s, when he was the publisher of a conservative magazine. princeton conservativehe has written books for various publishers Notes and columns criticizing homosexuality.
As publisher, Hegseth oversaw an editorial team that wrote a regular feature called “The Rant.” This special issue had no individual authors, but was identified as “edited by the editors.” tory state Editor” — it Handrails are often installed against homosexuality and same-sex marriage right.
One of the rants criticized a “Gender Bender Day” event held by an LGBTQ group on campus, with the editorial team saying, “Boys can wear bras until they’re blue in the face and girls can wear ties. You can do that, but it won’t change that.” The reality that the homosexual lifestyle is abnormal and immoral. ”
As recently as June, Hegseth ben shapiro showHe therefore argued that the abolition of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was part of a “Marxist” policy, in which military personnel focused on individual identity rather than focusing on being part of a larger unit. He said he would focus on
He also claimed that repeal is a “trans policy outfit being forced on the military” and that it undermines the overall effectiveness of the military, the report reported. CNN. Hegseth also argued that many who once supported repeal now regret it for the same reasons. He makes similar claims in his book battle with warriors.
“At least when [the Army’s advertising and recruiting slogan] It was “Army of One” [between 2001 and 2006] They’re, you know, tough, they’re picking up the troops, but…it was a subtle transition to individual advertising campaigns. ” he said. “now [since the repeal of DADT,] It just has the absurdity of, “I have two mothers, so I’m so proud to show them that I can wear a uniform too.” So they, that’s exactly what the Marxists and leftists did. At first it was well camouflaged, but now they’re just being open about it. ”
“Pete wants the U.S. military to focus on becoming the world’s greatest fighting force, not on cultural and social issues,” Trump’s spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. Bottom line: If you can meet the standards, you can serve. But given the threats we face, our priority should not be lowering standards or wasting taxpayer money to meet arbitrary social quotas; It should be responsive and lethal. ”
According to one study, an estimated 6.1% of current military personnel identify as LGBTQ. 2022 survey.
The Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ rights organization, slammed Hegseth’s past comments about Shapiro.
“Every day, our brave military members stand up and bravely defend and defend our country. They risk their lives for our freedoms, and we honor their sacrifices with the utmost respect.” We owe you our gratitude,” HRC spokesperson Brandon Wolf said in a statement.
“The Secretary of Defense has a responsibility to support all service members, but Hegseth’s comments show great disrespect for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, women, and service members who do not fit his own narrow ideology. Wolf added, “Not only is he not qualified for this role, but someone who has served his country deserves better than the failed and discriminatory policies of the past.”
For a while, it appeared that Hegseth’s candidacy for defense secretary might be canceled; politiko Reports suggest that reluctant Republican senators are moving to reverse their concerns amid protests from conservative activists who want Hegseth to take office and a pressure campaign by Trump’s transition team.
Additionally, Hegseth later retracted his statement after being asked by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) if he supported gays in the military, reporting that he answered in the affirmative. politiko. He is currently expected to receive enough votes from Republicans to be confirmed.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include Hegseth’s 2024 remarks on repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
