I’m a U.S. senator and I want to know why the Air Force base in my state hosted a drag show for minors

US military bases are hosting drag shows as Pentagon moves to appease left’s agenda

Social "equity" warriors believe America is infected with systemic racism and social inequity and are working relentlessly to impose their radical, woke agenda on every aspect of society, including the military. Their use of the Biden administration and Democrats in Congress to enact their agenda through legislative and regulatory action is having dire consequences that are on full display for the entire country to see. 

The administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan cost the lives of 13 of our servicemen and women. The Chinese spy balloon that lingered over Montana’s nuclear missile sites before traversing the rest of the country collected intelligence from some of our most sensitive sites. 

In addition, the Army was 25% short of its recruiting goal last year and projections indicate this year will be even worse for all branches. Public confidence in our armed forces is trending downward, and sexual assault within the ranks is on the rise. 

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It is particularly disturbing for me to see evidence of the left’s agenda at work at Montana’s own Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls. The 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom controls 150 ICBMs, the most powerful nuclear weapons known to mankind. In June 2021 the base hosted — and promoted on official media — a "Drag Story Time" for children followed by a drag show. 

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said he was unaware of drag events being hosted on base and that they "should not be happening." Yet a formal Pentagon response was less clear. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Alarmingly, this was not an isolated event — several other similar events happened on our military bases across the country, including Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia and Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.  

Reaction from Pentagon leadership to these events is alarming. 

When asked about the drag show at Malmstrom during a congressional hearing in March, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he was unaware of such events occurring and said they "should not be happening." Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said drag shows are not something that the Department of Defense funds.  

Yet in a formal response to my pointed questions, the Pentagon said, "Event spaces on the installation are made available to military-affiliated individuals and installation-recognized private organizations to host events with a variety of themes." 

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The response also claimed that "no taxpayer funds were spent to host or facilitate the event." It’s very difficult to reconcile the claim that any event held on a U.S. military installation and shared on the base’s official social media channels did not use any taxpayer resources. It also raises the question of just who is in charge. 

Sadly, not even our military academies are immune to the left’s influence as they are encouraging students to study the tenets of critical race theory. The Air Force Academy is policing the everyday language of cadets, going as far as to discourage the use of "offensive" terms like "mom" and "dad." 

This could partially explain why applications for service academy appointments from my office have decreased every year since President Joe Biden took office.  

In addition, at a department-sanctioned "Extremism Stand Down Day," the Navy distributed training materials to sailors that explicitly state, "conservative," "religious" views of "marriage, abortion, and LGBTQ rights" are "not considered mainstream."  

When asked about the drag show at Malmstrom during a congressional hearing in March, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he was unaware of such events occurring and said they "should not be happening." Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said drag shows are not something that the Department of Defense funds.  

These and other misguided actions suggest Pentagon leadership is looking the other way in order to appease the left’s agenda. In fact, the Pentagon says Austin is concerned about the public’s perception of the armed forces, but he has done nothing to stop the left’s agenda. 

It’s past time for Congress to flex its Article 1 power and hold the administration accountable through the power of the purse and when drafting the next National Defense Authorization Act. In addition, I am introducing legislation to prohibit the funding of "adult cabaret performances" on military bases. 

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Our country’s original motto, "E Pluribus Unum" or "Out of Many, One," reflects the extraordinary strength and power of a diverse American people that’s unified in purpose and core values. But in true irony, radical activists and their allies in the Biden administration seek to stifle viewpoints that run contrary to their own — regardless of the cost. They seem to define diversity as everybody looking very different, but forced to sing from the same woke hymnal. Their actions are actually extremely disrespectful toward Americans who volunteer to serve their country.  

The government’s top priority is to protect U.S. citizens and provide for our national defense. Nothing is worth putting our national security on the line, especially not ideological pandering that distracts from core military objectives and keeps some of our finest men and women out of our armed services altogether.

Ultimately, the American people will have their say at the ballot box in 2024. 

My hope is that they hold the Biden administration and its enablers in Congress responsible.  

The security of our nation depends on it.