The Pentagon ordered a Nevada Air Force base to cancel a drag queen show on government grounds just a day before it was set to take place, according to the New York Post.
Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas was directed to shut down the performance or move it off military grounds, despite the location being used to host previous drag shows.
The "family-friendly" event scheduled for June 1, 2023 — the beginning of "Pride Month" — was promoted as having "no minimum age requirement" with alcohol available to those over 21 years old. It was also labeled as a "free community drag showcase" featuring "RuPaul’s Drag Race" star CoCo Montrese.
“The DOD will not host drag events at U.S. military installations or facilities. Hosting these types of events in federally funded facilities is not a suitable use of DOD resources,” Sabrina Singh, deputy press secretary, confirmed in an email to the New York Post.
“Per DoD Joint Ethics Regulation (JER), certain criteria must be met for persons or organizations acting in non-Federal capacity to use DoD facilities and equipment," Singh also said, according to NBC News.
Orders for the cancellation came directly from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, the outlet also reported, with Milley reportedly having become visibly angry when he was informed about the event just days before.
“The Air Force will not host drag events at its installations or facilities. Commanders have been directed to either cancel or relocate these events to an off-base location,” an alleged Air Force official told NBC News.
In April 2023, Rep. Matt Gaetz personally confronted Milley with documents and news clippings that showed "Drag Queen Story Hours" were occurring on United States military installations across the country.
The Nellis Air Force Base drag show was among those cited by Gaetz, who referred to a June 2021 story from Breitbart that described the base's "first-ever drag queen show at one of its on-base dining and entertainment clubs."
\u201cGen. Milley asked @RepMattGaetz to give him the articles the congressman referenced on drag queen story hours and shows on military bases, claiming he was unaware of them.\n\nHere is a photo of Gaetz taken by his staff of him physically handing Milley a folder of the articles\u2026\u201d— Kristina Wong \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Kristina Wong \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1680205589
The general said he was "unaware" of any such events, according to Gaetz's office, but committed to ending the events on military property if the claims were true.
"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," Milley said at the time.
Gaetz celebrated the cancellation on his Twitter page and stated "HUGE VICTORY: The Department of Defense has CANCELED a scheduled 'child-friendly' drag show after I demanded answers from @SecDef Austin and General Milley! Drag shows should not be taking place on military installations with taxpayer dollars PERIOD!"
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\u201cHUGE VICTORY: The Department of Defense has CANCELED a scheduled "child-friendly" drag show after I demanded answers from @SecDef Austin and General Milley!\n\nDrag shows should not be taking place on military installations with taxpayer dollars PERIOD!\n\nREAD:\u2026\u201d— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@Rep. Matt Gaetz) 1685575094
Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter died on Monday at 68 years old following a "sudden cardiac event," a statement from his family noted.
"It is with deep and profound sadness that the family of former Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter shares that Secretary Carter passed away Monday evening in Boston after a sudden cardiac event at the age of 68," the family's statement noted. It also stated that Carter had "devoted his professional life to the national security of the United States and teaching students about international affairs. He was a beloved husband, father, mentor, and friend. His sudden loss will be felt by all who knew him."
Carter had held the role of director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School.
"A Rhodes Scholar and theoretical physicist, Secretary Carter loved academia, teaching, and mentoring students. He believed that his most profound legacy would be the thousands of students he taught with the hope that they would make the world a better and safer place," the statement noted.
\u201cFull statement from the family of former #SecDef Ash Carter on his passing, as sent by Peter Cook\u201d— Carla Babb (@Carla Babb) 1666706378
Carter served as Defense Secretary during a portion of President Barack Obama's tenure in office.
Prominent figures, including Obama, current President Joe Biden, and current Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, issued statements commemorating Carter.
Austin said in a statement that "the entire Department of Defense mourns the loss of a towering intellect, a steadfast leader, a devoted mentor to countless public servants, and a great patriot who devoted his life to strengthening the security of the country that he loved." Austin noted that Carter "tore down barriers to service when he made the decision to open all U.S. combat positions to women and announced that transgender Americans could openly serve in the U.S. military."
Biden described Carter as "honest" and "principled" and "a man of extraordinary integrity" — Biden also said that Carter had "opened every field of military service to women and protected the rights of transgender service members."
Obama said in a statement about Carter that "under his leadership, America accelerated its counterterrorism efforts, opened combat roles to women, modernized its weapons systems, and strengthened our alliances around the world."
\u201cToday we mourn the passing of former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and celebrate a leader who left America\u2014and the world\u2014safer through his lifetime of service. Michelle and I extend our heartfelt sympathies to Ash\u2019s wife, children, and all those who loved him.\u201d— Barack Obama (@Barack Obama) 1666716199
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, is asking for the D.C. National Guard to be deployed to help the city contend with the influx of migrants arriving in the region, a request that comes after the city's prior request for D.C. National Guard assistance was denied.
"The District of Columbia writes to provide additional information to support our July 19 request to deploy the DC National Guard (DCNG) to help prevent a prolonged humanitarian crisis in our nation's capital resulting from the daily arrival of migrants in need of assistance," Bowser wrote in an August 11 letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
\u201cWe need help from our federal partners as we seek to stabilize and manage our operating environment in this critical moment.\n\nI have been honored to work with the men and women of the DC National Guard many times and today we renewed our request for their assistance.\u201d— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@Mayor Muriel Bowser) 1660253923
Month after month the nation's southern border is inundated by massive flows of migrants coming into the country.
But some migrants have been heading to D.C. from the states of Texas and Arizona, where the states' Republican governors have been busing migrants who voluntarily take the trip.
In a letter last month, Christopher Rodriguez, the director of the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, requested the help of the D.C. National Guard on behalf of Mayor Bowser. The letter declared that "the Governors of Texas and Arizona are making a political statement to the federal government, and instead, their actions are having direct impacts on city and regional resources in ways that are unsustainable."
\u201c9 days since @MayorBowser requested @SecDef @ @POTUS activate @DCNationalGuard DC has received no answer. @nbcwashington\u201d— Mark Segraves (@Mark Segraves) 1659025732
That request was later rebuffed by the Defense Department, which is why Bowser is now trying again.
In the new letter requesting the D.C. National Guard, Bowser wrote that, "our hope is that the DCNG can aid in strengthening local efforts beginning August 22 and extending for the next 90 days. We need help from our federal partners as we seek to stabilize and manage our operating environment in this critical moment."
Far-left Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser requested the National Guard to help with what she called the "humanitarian crisis" of 4,000 illegal immigrants who've been bused to the nation's capital — a sanctuary city — over the last several months.
Bowser, a Democrat, made the National Guard activation request in a July 19 letter to the office of the Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin and in a July 22 letter to White House aides, WRC-TV reported:
\u201c9 days since @MayorBowser requested @SecDef @ @POTUS activate @DCNationalGuard DC has received no answer. @nbcwashington\u201d— Mark Segraves (@Mark Segraves) 1659025732
"The migrant crisis facing our city and our country through cruel political gamesmanship from the Governors of Texas and Arizona must be dealt with at the federal level,” the July 22 letter reads, according to WRC.
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year began chartering buses to send migrants to D.C. and other sanctuary cities, the station said, but aid groups said there are not enough resources available for them in the nation's capital.
Bowser said the 4,000 migrants who've arrived so far in D.C. is a “humanitarian crisis” that has reached a “tipping point," WRC reported, adding that the city hasn't received a response to its National Guard request as of Thursday.
Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas agreed with Bowser's assessment in a Thursday tweet — and added a zinger for the mayor:
\u201cDC Mayor\u2014rightly\u2014calls massive influx of illegal aliens a \u201chumanitarian crisis.\u201d\n\nShe says w/ 4000 arriving in DC, we\u2019re \u201cat a tipping point.\u201d\n\nIf 4000 is a tipping point, what the hell do you call the THREE & A HALF MILLION illegal immigrants who\u2019ve crossed our southern border??\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1659026509
"If 4,000 is a tipping point, what the hell do you call the THREE & A HALF MILLION illegal immigrants who’ve crossed our southern border??" Cruz wondered.
Bowser also requested the use of the DC Armory — a multipurpose events venue — as a processing center, WRC said.
On Wednesday, immigration agents found 73 migrants living in houses operated by human smugglers in Northwest D.C., the station said, citing internal documents NBC News reviewed. WRC said it's unclear why so many migrants were being kept in what appear to be stash houses in D.C.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters Friday that he is asking for the facts that led to a Marine posting a video online sobbing about how her "perpetrator" would be allowed to remain in the military despite an admission of guilt in an alleged misconduct claim.
An advocacy group called Not In My Marine Corps — which says its mission is to "end sexual harassment and assault in the Armed Forces" — shared a video Thursday of the unidentified Marine with message, "This is what happens when you report your assault in the @USMC He admits his guilt and then is retained by the Commanding General after everyone else recommended do not retain. @RepSpeier@SenGillibrand@KamalaHarris@SecDef this is bullshit."
(Warning: Extensive profanity.)
This is what happens when you report your assault in the @USMC He admits his guilt and then is retained by the Comm… https://t.co/k1COKObb8r— #NotInMyMarineCorps (@#NotInMyMarineCorps)1613679249.0
In the video, the Marine is seen driving down the road and crying as she explains how earlier in the day she posted a video complaining of how unfair it is that she was "able to see her f***ing perpetrator in court" and learning that he would be receiving an honorable discharge.
She went on to say that she had just been told minutes prior that the Commanding General had actually decided to allow her alleged perpetrator to remain in the military despite what she called "admission to guilt."
She adds at the end of the video, "This is exactly why f***ing females in the military f***ing kill themselves. This is exactly why. Nobody takes this seriously."
Austin was asked about the viral clip during a press conference, and he called the video "deeply disturbing." The defense secretary said that he had asked his staff for further information surrounding what occurred and vowed to make sure the Marine in the video was being cared for.
"We have to get the facts," Austin said. "We have to understand just what happened."
The Marine Corps later issued a statement saying that the service was "aware of the video and is gathering all the details of the situation," stressing: "Sexual assault is a crime, is unacceptable, and violates our core values of honor, courage, and commitment."
However, the Corps told Business Insider later that despite some reports of the incident being a sexual assault, the issue was not an assault but "misconduct of a sexual nature."
The force clarified, "This video specifically refers to an allegation of misconduct regarding the wrongful appropriation and distribution of personal information."
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