President Joe Biden used remarks at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium to attack Republicans for turning their backs on a strong national defense, possibly previewing how he will push back against complaints about “wokeness” in the military during the 2024 campaign.
“The Republican Party used to always support the military,” Biden said Thursday. “But today, they are undermining the military.”
President @JoeBiden used remarks at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium to attack Republicans for turning their backs on a strong national defense, possibly previewing how he will push back against complaints about “wokeness” in the military during the 2024 campaign.
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 28, 2023
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Biden began by again denouncing Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) for his hold on military promotions, undertaken to protest the Pentagon’s travel reimbursements policy for abortions, and “the 48 Republicans who refuse to stand up to him.”
“We don't have a sitting confirmed commandant of the Marine Corps,” he said. "By the fall, we may not have a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We may not have military leaders from our Army and Navy either.”
The president called it a “partisan freeze” and an “extreme blockade.”
“This isn’t a football game,” Biden added, taking a shot at Tuberville’s past as a college football coach.
“The senior senator from Alabama who claims to support our troops is now blocking more than 300 military operations with his extreme political agenda,” he said.
Biden said all outstanding military nominees, including the commandant and his pick for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, should be confirmed “now, now, now!”
But Biden went on to excoriate conservative lawmakers who have complained about “woke” ideological trends in the military, singling out Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Josh Hawley (R-MO).
The president cast this criticism of current military readiness, especially in contrast with foreign adversaries like China, as running down the armed forces as weak.
He decried "those voices slandering American military, saying it’s becoming weak, soft and less capable." He disputed that the military was "emasculated."
“Frankly,” Biden said, “they have no idea what in God's name they are talking about.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), a leading candidate for the 2024 GOP nomination to challenge Biden, recently unveiled his own proposal to root wokeness out of the military.
Biden accused Cruz of falling for “Russian propaganda” and said Hawley raised his fist in support of “insurrectionists” who had a “dagger to the throat of democracy” on Jan. 6.
Biden and other Democrats have previously used the Capitol riot to question Republican support for law enforcement. The White House has also sought to equate GOP criticisms of a “weaponized” FBI or Justice Department with progressive attempts to defund the police.
Including the military is a newer development.
“Enough with the attacks on our military,” Biden said.
As Biden was speaking, the Senate was passing the National Defense Authorization Act by a massive 86 to 11 bipartisan blowout vote.
Most of Biden’s speech praised President Harry Truman, who ordered the desegregation of the military 75 years ago, for his commitment to civil rights.
Biden also spoke at length about black soldiers who defended the United States in wars only to come home to be denied their civil rights or even be physically assaulted by racists.
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In recent weeks, the White House has escalated its war of words against Tuberville as the Alabama Republican’s military holds continued.
“I urge Senate Republicans to do what they know is right,” Biden said Thursday night. “Keep our country safe like Harry Truman. Approve all those outstanding military nominees.”