Posts in category: Media Interviews

Matt was interviewed by J.M. Phelps of The Epoch Times:

Military service members have been increasingly exposed to a “hyper-politicized and sexualized work environment,” according to a former lieutenant colonel, who says the resulting divisiveness is weakening the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Pentagon’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies have drawn increased and intense scrutiny in recent years, especially from conservatives, who dubb these moves as part of the “woke” agenda.

Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, deputy chief of space operations, said that “anti-LGBTQ+ laws” introduced by state legislatures are affecting hiring decisions. At a recent Pentagon pride event, she said, “Transformational cultural change requires leadership from the top, and we do not have time to wait. Since January of this year, more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been introduced at the state level.”

“That number is rising and demonstrates a trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families, and the readiness of the force as a whole,” she added.

The Epoch Times spoke to former Space Force officer, Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who in 2021 was removed from his command for expressing opposition to Marxist-rooted critical race theory (CRT). According to him, there is no place for this kind of advocacy from Burt in the U.S. military.

“Americans should know that when someone signs up to wear the uniform of their country, they’re trained early on to leave political baggage at the door and to be rather apolitical while acting in an official capacity.”

Service members often avoid discussing political topics, because as Lohmeier pointed out, “there is something that supersedes those topics for men and women in uniform—and that’s a particular mission in support of national security.”

“One can make arguments that the military became more political during the Clinton, or during the Obama administration,” he said. “But something radically, fundamentally shifted under the current administration with Lloyd Austin in the seat as secretary of defense.”

Cultural Dialogue

Lohmeier said, “At the forefront of the cultural dialogue in the military is what has been driven by policy.” Under then-President Donald Trump, in September 2020, federal agencies were banned from conducting diversity and inclusion training in an effort to combat race and sex stereotyping. Such training was referred to in the executive order as “divisive, anti-American propaganda” funded by taxpayers.

When President Joe Biden came into office in January 2021, he rescinded Trump’s order and issued several executive orders promoting DEI in the federal government.

“While the military has always been, by and large, a reflection of broader American society,” Lohmeier said, “there is something very different going on right now in this current administration.”

“Left-wing activists have essentially been given a bully pulpit,” and according to Lohmeier, “it is politically agitating.” Whether it’s the push for CRT, DEI, the LGBT agenda, or trans activism, he said it is “divisive in nature because not everyone aligns with or agrees with those agendas, and instead view them as a distraction from what our military’s priorities ought to be.”

But equally concerning to him is that “these agendas strike at the values of the military and its role in defending the Constitution.” As most service members attempt to remain apolitical, Lohmeier said, “they are finding themselves in a hyper-politicized and sexualized work environment at the moment.”

And if they oppose the environment, “they are labeled as politically partisan and simply ‘part of the problem’ and are ostracized for it.”

Drag Controversy

An active-duty Air Force officer reached out to Lohmeier in May, sharing an advertisement for an upcoming “family-friendly” drag show event to kick off Pride Month. The event was scheduled for June 1 at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. “The drag show was to be hosted on base at the officer’s club and was sponsored by and funded by the base—which means your taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Lohmeier’s source said his family was concerned about the event and they were not alone. “There were other families on base concerned about the event. Even though attendance at the event wasn’t compulsory, flyers were being posted around base and parents were distressed about their children being subjected to the content of those flyers,”Lohmeier said.

Thus, an effort to stop the event began. “I sent information about the event with the promotional flyer to members of Congress, [and] I tweeted about it,” he said. “A few members of Congress, in particular, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) took swift action.”

Gaetz sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, “demanding answers as to why these things are still taking place on DOD installations, because [on March 29], the Secretary of Defense in a hearing before Congress said that the Defense Department is not using taxpayer dollars to fund drag shows.” But to the contrary, Gaetz provided evidence of DOD-affiliated drag queen events.

For Lohmeier, the secretary was “either ignorant or being disingenuous,” but he is thankful a policy memorandum was issued in early June to end drag shows at Department of Defense installations around the world.

On June 21, House Armed Services Committee Republicans adopted provisions in the annual defense spending bill to eliminate the chief diversity officer at the Pentagon, end funding for DEI programs, as well as other measures targeting “woke” policies.

Lessons Learned

Lohmeier said there are lessons to be learned through this example of opposition to drag queen events at Pentagon facilities.

“While there are thousands concerned about drag queen shows and story hours, it only took one person to send a request for help and it made all the difference,” he said. “Men and women in uniform need to learn that it’s not off limits to speak up and voice your concern, because you could make changes in policy when you do so.”

There are still thousands of service members who love their country, Lohmeier said. “They take pride in the country and the greatness of the American ideal, and they are willing to fight for and defend that ideal,” he said.

“The best men and women in uniform defend the Constitution for every American, but they need not bow to the political agenda of a select few.”

And as various left-wing movements grow, he said, “We need decent people with traditional American values serving in the police force, in the schools, and in the military to shield us from illegal, unethical, or immoral policies that often stem from political and sexual activism run amok.”

“The LBTGQ+ agenda is every bit as divisive for our military as the Marxist-rooted CRT,” Lohmeier said. “It’s every bit as divisive as the diversity and inclusion training that need to be eliminated.”

“If we are going to be strong, if we are going to be ready, if we are going to be lethal,” Lohmeier said, “it will be because of unity.”

For him, “the strength of the military is in its unity, not in its diversity.”

The Department of the Air Force and Department of Defense did not return requests for comment from The Epoch Times.

First published in the The Epoch Times

Military ‘hyper-politicized and sexualized’ under Biden admin, former Space Force officer says (Just the News, 27 Jun 23)

The military is a “hyper-politicized and sexualized work environment” that shifted “radically” under the Biden administration, according to former Space Force officer Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who was removed from his position in 2021 for denouncing Marxism in the armed forces.

“One can make arguments that the military became more political during the Clinton, or during the Obama administration,” Lohmeier told The Epoch Times in a story published Sunday. “But something radically, fundamentally shifted under the current administration with Lloyd Austin in the seat as secretary of defense.”

Lohmeier also said that most service members are attempting to remain apolitical, but “they are finding themselves in a hyper-politicized and sexualized work environment at the moment.” Those who oppose the Defense Department’s initiatives “are labeled as politically partisan and simply ‘part of the problem’ and are ostracized for it,” he also said.

As he promoted his book during a May 2021 podcast, Lohmeier said that Austin was promoting “diversity, inclusion and equity,” which he said was rooted in Critical Race Theory and “Marxism.” He left the military in September of that year after he was punished by officials for his remarks.

Congressional Republicans have been sounding the alarm under the Biden administration about how liberal ideologies such as Critical Race Theory are reportedly harming military readiness.

Recent diversity efforts in the armed forces have included everything from using a non-binary drag queen as a recruitment ambassador to allowing service members to use the bathrooms and showers of the gender they identify with.

Former Space Force Commander, LTC Matthew Lohmeier (USAFA ’06) was on Jesse Watters show talking about the Navy’s odd decision to use a drag queen to help recruitment.

Also at the beginning, Watters has thoughtful things to say about it’s not all about the individual, it’s about the mission. Also note the SECDEF’s erroneous answer to Congressman Gaetz.

Watch video:

TRANSCRIPT

Jesse Watters

Lace up the boots, throw on the fatigues. We have the most powerful military in the world–not even close. To get here, it took hundreds of years–hard work, discipline, dedication.

The men and women who protect America, they don’t do it for fame, money or glory. They do it because they think the country’s still worth fighting for.

After they enlist, they get shipped off to boot camp. Lace up the boots, throw on the fatigues, buzz the hair. Imagine how I’d look?

Everybody looks exactly the same. Why? Well, because it’s not about the individual. It’s about the MISSION.

To keep this principle alive, recruiters have sold young men and women on being part of something that’s actually bigger than themselves.

Navy Recruitment Video voiceover

“The call to serve is at once invisible and always present. And for those who choose to answer the call for their country, for their fellow man, for themselves, it is the most powerful force on Earth. America’s Navy: A global force for good.”

Jesse Watters

Guess how old that commercial is? It’s a little over ten years old. And we’ve changed a lot since then. Recruitment took a nosedive. Kids are being told it’s not a country worth fighting for.

You combine that with obesity, drug use and criminal records–getting kind of hard to find people eligible to serve.

Navy’s going to fall–ready?–8000 bodies short of the recruitment goal this year, so they’re tweaking their recruitment strategy.

Meet the new face of the Navy:

Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley

Hey, all you fabulous faces, it’s your girl, Harpy Daniels. I’m sad and sad stands for successful and dangerous. Smart and dedicated. Sassy and dramatic. Strong and determined. Spicy and delicious.

Jesse Watters

So that’s Joshua Kelly, whose stage name is Harpy Daniels. Harpy’s a sailor who says he’s not a man or a woman. And the Navy picked this guy to help recruit cadets.

Harpy advertises how great the Navy is by dressing in drag, putting on makeup, doing his hair and nails, and singing and dancing. If you join the Navy, you can just be like Harpy.

The Navy wants cross dressing sailors manning their ships. If you don’t identify as a man or a woman, but are into the drag queen scene, join the Navy.

That’s the message here.

It’s not about your country.

It’s not about teamwork.

It’s not about the mission.

It’s about YOU and your IDENTITY. You’re the star of the show.

The Navy’s here, and you’re here [above the Navy], attracting all of the attention, because that’s what this is about.

Now, I don’t care what you do in your free time. Harpy can put on women’s clothes. Who cares?

But when it comes to the Navy, it’s not about me, me, me. It’s about the sea and making the sea safe.

You can’t show up to basic training in stilettos and a blonde wig. You need to be in uniform.

Everybody wears the same uniform for a reason. It’s called unit cohesion. It’s about serving something greater than yourself.

But Harpy doesn’t just recruit. Harpy entertains. Here’s Harpy performing a drag show for sailors aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. Yeah. Harpy, he’s given it all he’s got. He loves the spotlight, doesn’t he?

And here’s Harpy on a game show telling the world how he boosts morale on base.

Game show host

Joshua, you once went viral as a drag queen.

Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley

We did. Morale gets very low on deployment, and our MWR put together a lip sync competition. Well, as a drag queen, I put some heels, put some makeup on, and I actually won the lip syncing competition in full drag in the middle of deployment.

Jesse Watters

So this is odd because the Secretary of Defense said there are no drag shows on bases.

Rep. Matt Gaetz

How much taxpayer money should go to fund drag queen story hours on military bases?

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

You know, drag, drag queen story hours is not something that the Department funds.

Rep. Matt Gaetz

At Nellis Air Force Base, you had the Drag-U-Nellis on June 17. Who funded these things, Mr. Secretary?

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

Listen, drag shows are not something that the Department of Defense supports or funds.

Rep. Matt Gaetz

Why are they happening on military bases? I just showed you the evidence. Why are they happening?

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

I will say again, this is not something that we support or fund.

Jesse Watters

Well, either Lloyd Austin is lying or he has no idea what’s going on.

And what’s wrong with the Navy? They looked at what happened with Bud Light and said, Hold my beer?

Harpy’s the Navy’s Dylan. Dylan killed Bud Light sales. What do you think Harpy is going to do to recruitment? And where does that leave us?

Let’s bring in former Space Force Lieutenant Colonel and Commander Matthew Lohmeier. He was forced to resign from the military for criticizing Woke.

What is going on with the Navy? Here we have a statement from the Navy. They acknowledge this is a digital ambassador program, a pilot initiative to explore the digital environment to reach a wide range of potential candidates.

LTC Matthew Lohmeier, USAFA ’06, former USAF/Space Force

Jesse, thanks for having me on.

First off, I think it’s terribly unfortunate that every time the United States military is showing up in the news, it’s over things like this anymore these days. The American people see this and think, this has become our military.

So, first and foremost, I think it’s important that I should say, and I fail to do this often enough, thank you to the good men and women who nobly serve our country in uniform every day of their lives because they show up believing in the greatness of the American ideal and because they’re willing to lay their life on the line in defense of this country.

I have to wonder who it is that our senior military leaders, in fact, think they’re appealing to in the recruiting process by hiring a drag queen as their digital ambassador?

I mean, they’re certainly not incentivizing our men and women in uniform to stick around if they’re decent people who believe in the Western nuclear family, as we’ve often referred to it.

They don’t want their kids around this stuff. They don’t want to show up after hours and participate in this stuff.

It’s just not true that it’s helping our recruiting efforts.

What’s surprising is not that it’s taking place because, in fact, we’ve known for the past couple of years during the Biden administration, this has been taking place more and more.

What’s surprising is that senior military leaders continue to push an agenda like this, despite the fact that it’s hurting our recruiting efforts and it’s hurting our retention, and frankly, it can’t help our lethality and our readiness.

Jesse Watters

Someone had to approve this in the Navy and say, I’m going to put a drag queen out to dance and wiggle, and that’s going to attract recruits to join the Navy. Someone had to think this was a good idea. In what world is that a good idea?

LTC Matthew Lohmeier, USAFA ’06, former USAF/Space Force

Well, this is a really unwise strategy. Frankly, you shouldn’t call it a strategy. It’s unwise decision-making by our senior military leaders.

What also is surprising is I know that we have senior ranking members of our military in all branches of the military who are appalled by this stuff, and yet you’re not hearing from them. You’re calling on the late, so to speak, Lieutenant Colonel Matt Lohmeier.

Why is it that we seem also to have a crisis of courage among our senior military ranks?

But you’re right, there are people that have to make decisions about these things.

What’s disappointing to Americans generally is that this is a partisan issue somehow.

Why is it that Democrats and Republicans on both sides of the aisle and Congress can’t come together and say, hey, overnight we are going to unite and eliminate this kind of thing from our armed forces?

Why is it that it’s conservatives that are speaking up in defense of our troops who can’t, frankly, speak up freely on behalf of themselves?

Conservatives have been interested in reaching out to me in the wake of me being fired from my command to discuss Marxist-rooted critical race theory and the diversity and inclusion industry.

The Democrats, some of whom I requested meetings with, didn’t want to touch these issues with a ten foot pole.

We’ll never solve our problems until Democrats and Republicans, both sides of the political aisle, are able to unite and say, what is dividing our military hurts lethality and readiness.

We have to take this kind of stuff seriously.

Jesse Watters

It sure does. Especially the way things are shaping up in the Pacific with China.

It’s not even about the gender stuff with the drag. You wouldn’t advertise for Navy recruitment with chippendale half naked male dancers. You just wouldn’t do it. It’s not tasteful, and it doesn’t go with the vibe of we’re all in this together.

Thank you very much, Colonel, and we got to run, but we appreciate your insight.

Space Force commander fired for criticizing CRT rips Navy’s turn to drag queens for recruitment (Fox News, 4 May 23)
A former Space Force lieutenant colonel who was relieved of his command in 2021 after criticizing the rise of wokeness and critical race theory principles within the military sounded off on the U.S. Navy’s latest recruitment strategy: showcasing drag performers.

Matthew Lohmeier, who was commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron in Colorado before he made comments on a podcast critical of Marxism, told Fox News it is sad that whenever the U.S. military makes the news, it is for items like the drag-themed recruitment videos. . . . .

On this episode of “The Glenn Beck Podcast,” Glenn talks to Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, the first Space Force veteran.

As the commander of a space-based missile warning unit, he was disturbed by the military’s increasingly woke and Marxist agenda, and he decided to speak out and write a book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military.” (Note: #1 Best Seller in Military Policy category)

But instead of listening, the military fired him. Now, with Putin’s finger near the red button and China sneering at Taiwan, Matt joins Glenn to sound the alarm: Did the U.S. bomb the Nord Stream pipeline? Did our woke military give Putin his greatest weapon?

Space Force veteran and whistleblower @matthewlohmeier tells me why a woke military is a DANGER to every American: “You lose merit, and then you lose lethality, and you lose readiness.” pic.twitter.com/qRNvL4ePqp

— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) February 27, 2023

Matthew Lohmeier was on Newsmax on why he was speaking against Cultural Marxism: “Seeing that essentially liberty is under attack, our armed forces are divided by race politics at the moment and we seem to have misplaced priorities, I elected to speak up.”