GOP upset that Space Force demoted extremist who bashed anti-racism training

U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier was relieved of command of a squadron last week following comments and the publication of his book attacking anti-racism efforts as “Marxism.”

Congressional Republicans are furious.

“It’s outrageous,” tweeted Colorado Rep. Ken Buck on Friday.

“Troubling,” said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Sunday.

“This is outrageous,” opined Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. “So-called ‘critical race theory’ has no place in our military or our country. Period.”

“America’s military fights for freedom – not harmful Marxist values,” said Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri.

“He is a patriot and should not have been removed from his post,” said North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn.

“His demotion is clearly retaliatory,” charged Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. “I will be seeking action on this in the Armed Services Committee.”

“We should not be removing military members for lack of wokeness,” wrote Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert. “Will the next step be pledging loyalty to the Democrat Party to fight for our country?”

Several other GOP lawmakers and Fox News also rushed to lionize Lohmeier and blast his dismissal.

According to a Space Force statement provided to the Washington Examiner on Saturday, Lohmeier was removed “due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead” after he made comments on a recent podcast criticizing Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s “agenda” of inclusion and diversity.

“This decision was based on public comments made by Lt. Col. Lohmeier in a recent podcast. Lt. Gen. [Stephen] Whiting [head of Space Operations Command] has initiated a Command Directed Investigation (CDI) on whether these comments constituted prohibited partisan political activity,” the statement said.

“The diversity, inclusion and equity industry and the trainings we are receiving in the military … is rooted in critical race theory, which is rooted in Marxism,” Lohmeier charged. He was promoting his self-published book “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military.”

Austin is working to address far-right extremism in the U.S. Armed Forces following the Jan. 6 riot by supporters of Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol. Some of the people involved in the insurrection had ties to the military.

Republicans have attacked the military’s diversity training, proposing to bar it to “restrict the spread” of “critical race theory.” Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, one of the Senate’s most vocal critics of efforts to combat racism, said in February that it is “anti-American” to say that systemic racism has been prevalent throughout the nation’s history.

Republicans have also taken to using the terms “Marxist” and “socialist” to attack not just anti-racism efforts but just about anything Democrats and civil rights advocates propose.

In recent months, they have claimed reforming the U.S. Supreme Court, letting people work remotely during a pandemic, protecting voting rights, raising the minimum wage, offering immigration protections to undocumented people brought to the country as kids, investing in infrastructure, and providing pandemic relief are all “socialism.”

Lohmeier has reportedly denied any wrongdoing.

While Republican lawmakers are outraged about the removal of Lohmeier, they were notably silent in February 2020 when Donald Trump ousted Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a decorated Army officer, and his twin brother Yevgeny from their positions working for the National Security Council in retaliation for Alexander’s truthful testimony during Trump’s first impeachment trial.

At the time, Gaetz defended the move, saying Vindman had shown “poor judgment.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.