Military leaders, veterans and veterans groups are slamming Fox News host Tucker Carlson after he attacked the notion of pregnant women serving in the armed forces.
Carlson called women in “maternity flight suits” a mockery of the U.S. military, while also making a transphobic aside in his speech during a Tuesday night broadcast. His segment was in response to President Joe Biden’s acknowledgement that the military has tailored combat uniforms for women during his International Women’s Day remarks.
“While China’s military becomes more masculine as its assembled the world’s largest navy, our military, as Joe Biden says, needs to become more feminine — whatever feminine means anymore since men and women no longer exist,” Carlson said. “The bottom line is it’s out of control and the Pentagon is going along with it. Again, this is a mockery of the U.S. military and its core mission, which is winning wars.”
The Department of Defense would not be taking personnel advice from “a talk show host or the Chinese military,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a response to the remarks Thursday.
“Maybe those folks feel like they have something to prove, that’s on them,” Kirby said. “We know we’re the greatest military in the world today, and even for all the things we need to improve.”
Kirby added that the military is “better and more effective” when they represent all of the American people.
A number of active military members, veterans and veterans groups took issue with Carlson’s remarks, frequently noting that the Fox News host has never served in the military.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-NJ, a former Navy helicopter pilot, stood up for military women in a tweet responding to the Carlson segment.
“I served with women who risked their lives to protect our country. Tucker did not,” Sherrill said. “While he denigrates those who serve, our military remains the best fighting force due, in large part, to our amazing servicewomen.”
Scott Stalker, command senior enlisted leader of U.S. Space Command, reduced Carlson’s comments to what he called “drama TV” in a video posted to Twitter on Thursday morning. Stalker said Carlson’s opinion was based on “actually zero days” of service before offering his own, which he said is based on 28 years in the military.
“Those decisions were made by medical professionals, by commanders and our civilian leadership, that allows for women to have more time with their children to recuperate, to get fit and ready,” Stalker said.
“To take that time that’s necessary that our medical professionals know is needed, which actually makes us a more lethal, ready and fit force … the bottom line is that we value women in our armed forces.”
Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News Thursday.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
