Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), in a tweet Friday, fired back at Democrats and “woke media” claiming he was attacking the United States military when he criticized the Army’s latest recruitment campaign.
“I’m enjoying lefty blue checkmarks losing their minds over this tweet, dishonestly claiming that I’m ‘attacking the military.’ Uh, no. We have the greatest military on earth, but Dem politicians & woke media are trying to turn them into pansies,” he tweeted.
He added, “The new Dem videos are terrible,” in reference to the recruitment campaign. The campaign consists of five anime videos highlighting soldiers who are either female, minorities, or both, and conspicuously does not include a white male.
I’m enjoying lefty blue checkmarks losing their minds over this tweet, dishonestly claiming that I’m “attacking the military.”
Uh, no. We have the greatest military on earth, but Dem politicians & woke media are trying to turn them into pansies.
The new Dem videos are terrible. https://t.co/19pYGa8cYk
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 21, 2021
The Army recruitment video that has received the most attention features a young white female soldier who talks about growing up with two lesbian mothers and participating in pro-LGBT rallies.
Cruz first weighed in on the video Thursday evening after it was featured in a tweet that compared it to a Russian recruitment video. The Russian recruitment video shows young men conducting tough physical and weapons training.
Cruz tweeted: “Holy crap. Perhaps a woke, emasculated military is not the best idea….”
Holy crap.
Perhaps a woke, emasculated military is not the best idea…. https://t.co/8aVFMW98NM
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 20, 2021
After Cruz’s tweet, progressives attacked him and suggested he was criticizing the U.S. military or praising the Russian military.
Wounded combat veteran Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) tweeted: “Holy crap. Perhaps a U.S. Senator shouldn’t suggest that the *Russian* military is better than the American military that protected him from an insurrection he helped foment?”
Holy crap.
Perhaps a U.S. Senator shouldn’t suggest that the *Russian* military is better than the American military that protected him from an insurrection he helped foment? https://t.co/Ja3P78wnrv
— Tammy Duckworth (@TammyDuckworth) May 20, 2021
Progressive members of the military and veterans also went after Cruz. A number of them criticized him from anonymous accounts, since there are regulations in the military limiting political speech while serving in an active duty capacity.
The soldier whose story was featured in the Army ad, Army Cpl. Emma Malonelord, retweeted some of the criticism from her Twitter account, including a tweet that said:
MilTwitter absolutely going in on some boomer f*ck who cannot fathom that an organization can be inclusive and lethal at the same time.” The account was anonymous but its profile said: “All views are mine & dont reflect those of the Army.
“MilTwitter” is a reference to the group of mostly-progressive veterans and service members on Twitter.
MilTwitter absolutely going in on some boomer fuck who cannot fathom that an organization can be inclusive and lethal at the same time pic.twitter.com/r3pO7sDnbW
— Runaway Depression Gun (@SanitasDivide) May 21, 2021
Malonelord also responded to a tweet from an Army officer mocking Cruz with: “For real. And I love the support!!! Very grateful that so many people have my 6.”
The top enlisted leader of the Army, Sergeant Major Michael Grinston, then responded to her, “Thanks for being part of the team.”
Thanks for being part of the team.
— SMA Michael Grinston (@16thSMA) May 22, 2021
This is not the first time Cruz has stoked the ire of progressive veterans and service members. Earlier this year, Cruz requested a meeting with senior military leaders after they took to Twitter to attack journalist and private citizen Tucker Carlson for criticizing the military on his political opinion show.
Carlson had criticized the U.S. military for focusing on accommodating females while China was focused on building a larger navy, and progressive veterans and service members pleaded for senior military leaders to weigh in. Many of those leaders did, personally attacking Carlson and suggesting he could not criticize the military since he did not serve himself — which goes against the foundational American tenet of civilian rule over the military.
House Republican lawmakers are also increasing their scrutiny of political bias in the military. Just this week, 24 Republicans — including the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee — signed a letter demanding the reinstatement of an Air Force lieutenant colonel who was fired after warning about Marxism and critical race theory spreading in the military.
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