Military leaders, veterans and veteran groups are attacking Fox News host Tucker Carlson after he attacked the idea of pregnant women serving in the military.
Carlson called the women in “maternity overalls” a mockery from the US military, while making a transphobic part in his speech during a broadcast on Tuesday night. His segment was a response to President Joe Biden’s acknowledgment that the military customized women’s combat uniforms during his statements on International Women’s Day.
“As the Armed Forces of China become more masculine with the formation of the largest navy in the world, our Armed Forces, as Joe Biden says, need to become more feminine – whatever feminine means most, since men and women do not there are more, ”said Carlson. “The end result is that it is out of control and the Pentagon is agreeing to that. Again, this is a mockery of the US military and its main mission, which is to win wars ”.
The Department of Defense would not take personal advice from “a talk show host or the Chinese military,” said Pentagon press secretary John Kirby in response to comments on Thursday.
“Maybe these people feel they have something to prove, this is their fault,” said Kirby. “We know that we are the greatest military in the world today, and even for all the things that we need to improve.”
Kirby added that the military is “better and more effective” when it represents the entire American people.
Several active military members, veterans and groups of veterans contested Carlson’s comments, often noting that the Fox News presenter never served in the military.
“I served with women who risked their lives to protect our country. Tucker doesn’t, ”Rep. Mikie Sherrill, DN.J., a former Navy helicopter pilot, said in a tweet. “As long as he denigrates those who serve, our military remains the best fighting force due, in large part, to our incredible women on duty.”
Scott Stalker, a senior enlisted command leader of the U.S. Space Command, reduced Carlson’s comments to what he called “TV drama” in a video posted on Twitter early Thursday morning. Stalker said Carlson’s opinion was based on “actually, zero days” of service before offering his own, which he said was based on 28 years in the army.
“These decisions were made by medical professionals, commanders and our civilian leadership, which allows women to have more time with their children to recover, get fit and ready,” said Stalker.
“Take advantage of the time that our medical professionals know is necessary, which actually makes us a more lethal, ready and appropriate force,” he said. “The end result is that we value women in our armed forces.”
Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.