Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) got into a fiery exchange with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a review of the 2023 defense budget. Gaetz is concerned the $773 billion requested will be wasted on woke initiatives.
Watch the video above. Excerpts below.
“So, I guess I’m wondering, what in the $773 billion that you’re requesting today is going to help you make assessments that are accurate in the face of so many blown calls?” Gaetz asked Austin.
“While everyone else is in the world seems to be developing capabilities and being more strategic, we got time to embrace critical race theory at West Point, embrace socialism at the National Defense University, to do mandatory pronoun training,” Gaetz said a few moments later.
“You guys said that Russia would overrun Ukraine in 36 days. You said that the Taliban would be kept at bay for months. You totally blew those calls,” Gaetz said. “And maybe we would be better at them if the National Defense University worked a little more on strategy and a little less on wokeism.”
Gaetz shared the exchange on Twitter:
BREAKING@SecDef: "The fact that you're embarrassed by your country. I’m sorry for that."
Gaetz: “I'm embarrassed by YOUR leadership! I’m not embarrassed for my country. It's disgraceful that you would sit here & conflate your failures with those of uniformed service members.” pic.twitter.com/mUfRNbY8Rt
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) April 5, 2022
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