Veterans defended Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson after anonymous “senior” Pentagon officials celebrated his exit from Fox News.
The Politico report alleged that Carlson used the military as a “punching bag.” Carlson has previously criticized the Pentagon’s leadership for adopting diversity training programs, issuing maternity flight suits and changing hairstyle regulations.
Veterans of the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. quickly spoke up to accuse the anonymous Pentagon officials of cowardice and to defend Carlson, who they said “demanded accountability” for the outcomes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Every ‘senior Pentagon official’ who commented on this story while hiding behind anonymity is a coward,” Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a Marine Corps. veteran, wrote in a Tuesday tweet. “Call me old-fashioned, but senior military officials should maintain neutrality about hot button political topics. And they certainly shouldn’t run to one media outlet to gossip—anonymously—about another.”
Call me old fashioned, but senior military officials should maintain neutrality about hot button political topics. And they certainly shouldn’t run to one media outlet to gossip—anonymously—about another.
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) April 26, 2023
Army Ranger veteran Sean Parnell echoed Carlson’s calls for senior military leadership to be held accountable for wars that left “[t]housands of Americans dead” and “[t]rillions wasted.”
“This is BS. Tucker never bagged on our military. He demanded accountability of the senior leadership who gave us the disaster of Iraq & Afghanistan,” Parnell tweeted. “Who to date, have not been held accountable for anything. Thousands of Americans dead. Wounded. Trillions wasted. And for what?”
This is BS. Tucker never bagged on our military.
He demanded accountability of the senior leadership who gave us the disaster of Iraq & Afghanistan. Who to date, have not been held accountable for anything.
Thousands of Americans dead. Wounded. Trillions wasted. And for what? https://t.co/F0Lauvc8eb— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) April 26, 2023
Townhall.com columnist Kurt Schlichter, a retired Army colonel, called the officials’ comments “a freaking disgrace” in a tweet responding to NewsNation solutions reporter Zaid Jilani, who also criticized the officials. (RELATED: ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ Replacement Drops In Key Age Demo Ratings On First Night)
“Well @ZaidJilani, you have to understand for these losers, this is the closest thing to winning a war any of them have experienced in their careers. What a freaking disgrace,” Schlichter wrote.
Well @ZaidJilani, you have to understand for these losers, this is the closest thing to winning a war any of them have experienced in their careers.
What a freaking disgrace.
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) April 26, 2023
Marine Corps. veteran Dan Caldwell and Brigadier General Robert Spalding also came to Carlson’s defense.
The fact that many of Tucker’s criticisms of the DoD appealed more to the “rank and file” troops while angering the Pentagon elite that contributed to 20+ years of foreign policy failure is further affirmation that Tucker was right over target. https://t.co/vOhgI5iIzt
— Dan Caldwell 🇺🇸 (@dandcaldwell) April 26, 2023
This is not what this country needs. “We’re a better country without him bagging on our military every night in front of hundreds of thousands of people,” said one senior DoD official” Just do your damn job. https://t.co/6CFTIjzvvW
— General Spalding (@robert_spalding) April 26, 2023
“It’s highly inappropriate for a Pentagon official to be making comments about the sacking of a media figure who questioned them. This, no matter your views on Tucker himself,” former Navy SEAL Scott Taylor wrote. “This should be denounced in a bipartisan way.”
It’s highly inappropriate for a Pentagon official to be making comments about the sacking of a media figure who questioned them.
This, no matter your views on Tucker himself. This should be denounced in a bipartisan way. https://t.co/biJJwwQVs9
— Scott Taylor (@Scotttaylorva) April 26, 2023
Carlson responded to the Pentagon officials’ criticisms in a text message to Politico, writing, “Ha! I’m sure,” according to the report.
During a segment of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that aired March 10 and 11, Carlson said that officials of President Joe Biden’s administration have made “a mockery” of the military by prioritizing wokeness and diversity over competence and readiness.
“Nothing matters more than what Joe Biden does to the U.S. military,” Carlson said. “Our military is the last functional institution of any size in this country. It’s the last institution most people trust and respect. It is by far the most important. A weak military means no country. Period.”