Mark Milley: 'I don't agree' with drag-related events for children on US military bases
WASHINGTON (TND) — Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, the nation's highest ranking military officer, said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing Wednesday that he does not agree with drag-related events occurring in the presence of children, and indicated they should not be happening on military bases as GOP critics allege they are.
During the hearing, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., pressed both Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman Milley on whether the Department of Defense (DOD) was funding, or in any way supporting, these drag queen experiences for kids.
Secretary Austin repeatedly insisted drag-related events for kids were not something the Department of Defense supported or funded, but, according to Gaetz, that did not comport with the evidence he had.
Gaetz put forth to Milley and Austin several examples of drag-related events for kids being held at various military bases around the globe that have been covered in the news.
One example the GOP congressman cited was from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, which hosted a drag show during a kid-friendly "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summer Festival," according to American Military News.
Another example cited by Gaetz during Wednesday's Armed Services hearing was from Ramstein Air Base in Germany, as The National Desk previously reported. However, the base ultimately cancelled its event before it ever even occurred following backlash from U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla, and others.
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"He saw from me the evidence that those drag queen shows had occurred." Rep. Gaetz told TND after the hearing. "If we focus on holding the high ground against our near peer adversaries, then the military is fulfilling our mission to the country, rather than engaging in a political virtue signal."
"So you think hosting a drag queen story hour on a military base isn't supporting drag queen story hour?" Gaetz questioned in response to Sec. Austin's repeated denial that the DOD supports drag queen events for kids.
"I stand by what I said," Austin responded to Gaetz.
While the Secretary of Defense may not have been persuaded by Gaetz's evidence, Milley appeared to have been impacted by it.
After Gaetz's time to ask questions expired during the Wednesday hearing, Gen. Milley requested copies of the evidence Gaetz had presented.
"Can I just -- can I get copies of those [news stories]?" Milley requested. "Because I'd like to take a look at those myself, actually. Take a look and find out what actually is going on there, because that's the first I'm hearing about that kind of stuff. I don't read those news stories, I don't know what you're talking about. I'd like to take a look at those, because I don't agree with those [events]. I think those [drag-related events for kids] shouldn't be happening."