Conservative lawmakers have increasingly spoken out against the widening leftist influence within the branches of the U.S. armed forces, which critics say has prioritized “woke” ideology at the expense of military readiness.
Now, an Air Force base in North Dakota is coming under fire for advising service members to stay away from a conservative political event featuring a speaker who supports former President Donald Trump.
“We just got word of an event at the fairgrounds downtown called the Dakota Patriot Rally,” a text attributed to the airbase stated. “Its guest speaker is from an alt-right organization called Turning Point Action.”
Promotional material for the event identified the guest speaker as Turning Point Action executive Tyler Bowyer.
The statement went on to claim that “the crowds this event may attract could be confrontational to military members.”
Furthermore, military officers at the base appeared to threaten service members who might want to attend the right-wing rally with professional retaliation.
“Additionally, please remind them that participation with groups such as Turning Point Action could jeopardize their continued service in the U.S. military,” the message warned.
News of the message prompted backlash from a variety of sources, including U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), who said that it warrants a probe by the House Armed Services Committee.
“Air Force base in North Dakota warns airmen not to attend rally featuring pro-Trump Tyler Bower [sic] or risk ‘jeopardizing’ military career,” he wrote. “Our men & women of the Armed Forces fight for our freedoms only to be threatened/denied by leftist leadership. This command should start preparing for an Armed Services Committee hearing/investigation NOW!”
We need swift corrective action on this. Politicization reaching field command decision makers is extremely dangerous.
— Col. Rob Maness ret. 🇺🇸 (@RobManess) November 21, 2023
For its part, Turning Point Action addressed the situation with a statement via a spokesperson who said: “How dare they dissuade servicemen and women from affiliating with conservative groups and leaders. This should set off alarm bells throughout North Dakota and D.C., that something is terribly wrong at the Minot Air Force base.
The source echoed Mills’ call for congressional action, adding that it “exactly this type of poison that has caused the Air Force to miss its recruiting goal for the first time in decades.”
