Donald Trump has announced plans to establish an anti-woke task force within the US military to monitor generals, as reported by The Independent. During a campaign event in North Carolina, Trump shared that the task force would be responsible for overseeing “woke generals” and eliminating diversity trainings within the military.
The proposal arose following a question from Matthew Lohmeier, a former F-15 pilot who was removed from his command in Trump’s Space Force in 2021 after criticising diversity and inclusion training on a conservative podcast. Lohmeier had accused members of the military of undergoing training rooted in Marxism and critical race theory, leading to his dismissal for a loss of trust and confidence in his leadership abilities.
At the North Carolina event, Lohmeier labelled the “woke generals” as “monsters” who were causing division among US troops and called on Trump to establish a commission to monitor progressive views within the military if he were to be re-elected. Trump pledged to create the commission and mentioned appointing Lohmeier to it.
It is not the first time Trump has criticised aspects of the military for being ‘woke’. In 2021, he called for the resignation of then-Joint Chiefs chairman Mark Milley, accusing him of defending Critical Race Theory and leftist causes within the armed forces. Milley, on his part, had testified before Congress in defence of courses at US service academies that addressed racism and identity, tying the military’s social justice efforts to the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
Homeland Security officials highlighted domestic violent extremism, including within US security branches, as a top terror threat, stressing the need to combat such extremism within the nation. Data from the Anti-Defamation League suggests that over the last decade, right-wing extremists have been responsible for the majority of extremism-related deaths in the US.
During his time in office, Trump also targeted left-wing causes in the military, including imposing restrictions on transgender individuals serving in the armed forces. He has even suggested that Milley should be executed for assuring his Chinese counterpart of the stability of the United States during the tumultuous final weeks of Trump’s presidency.
As tensions continue to rise within the US military over issues of ideology and inclusion, Trump’s latest plans for an anti-woke task force have sparked further debate and scrutiny within military and political circles.