In a rare rebuke on Thursday, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby condemned Fox News host Tucker Carlson for his sexist comments about women in the military.
Driving the news: In one segment, Carlson said President Biden’s recognition that policies are changing to encourage more women to join and stay in the armed forces was a “mockery of the U.S. military.”
What they say: Kirby, as well as a growing number of military leaders and veteran groups have convened the Fox News host for the sexist segment.
- “I want to be very clear up front, that the diversity of our military is one of our biggest strengths,” Kirby said.
- “I’ve seen it for myself for many months at sea and in the fighting fought by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. I’ve seen it on Capitol Hill just this past month. And I see it every day right here at the Pentagon “.
- “What we absolutely won’t do is get advice from the staff of a talk show host or the Chinese military. Maybe these people feel they have something to prove. That’s something they have.”
The big picture: The U.S. military responded to Twitter with a series of photos of female troops along with the phrase “I am an American Soldier.”
- Sergeant Master Gunnery. Scott Stalker, the enlisted leader of the U.S. space command, said in a video on Twitter that Carlson’s opinion “is based on zero days of service to the armed forces.”
The other side: Carlson accused DoD of “attacking” his program as “we are a hostile foreign power” tweet Thursday.