Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has come out in support of U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-Auburn) hold on military flag officer nominations over the Pentagon's abortion policy.
On Thursday, Ramaswamy criticized Air Force General Charles Q. Brown Jr. for enacting racial quotas at a time when military recruitment has been below expectations. Ramaswamy said he personally called Tuberville to thank him for blocking the general's promotion.
Under General CQ Brown’s leadership, the Air Force is trying to reduce white male pilots from 86% of flyers down to 43% amidst a major recruiting crisis. Increasing racial discord will not help and will further degrade the mission, success, and safety of the brave men and women…
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) August 31, 2023
"Under General CQ Brown's leadership, the Air Force is trying to reduce white male pilots from 86% of flyers down to 43% amidst a major recruiting crisis. Increasing racial discord will not help and will further degrade the mission, success, and safety of the brave men and women who serve this nation," Ramaswamy posted on X. "As Commander-in-Chief, a president's job is to keep our homeland safe and keep the men and women who defend it safe, too. We need a chairman who will make national defense about defending Americans again.
"I urge the U.S. Senate to reject General Brown's nomination. Not only should he not be promoted – his record shows he should be fired. I called Senator [Tuberville] earlier to thank him for his courageous stance on this issue."
Since February, Tuberville has been blocking the mass confirmation of over 300 military promotions due to the Pentagon's policy of covering the travel costs for servicemembers who go out of state to get an abortion.
Defense News reported that Brown condemned the holds during a Senate confirmation hearing in July, where he said they were costing the military its tactical readiness and preventing junior officers from advancing in their careers.
While Tuberville has drawn a lot of heat from political talking heads, Democrats and even some Republicans in Washington over the holds, his support in Alabama remains strong. According to the Washington Examiner, a recent poll by WPA Intelligence found that 45% of registered voters supported Tuberville's stance compared to 33% who supported the Biden Administration's policy. The poll found that 52% of registered voters support Tuberville overall.
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