In an epic segment (and I do not use the word "epic" lightly in this case), Tucker Carlson directed desperately needed attention to the Biden administration's policies regarding the American military.  Obama started the process of turning the military into a social justice institution.  While Trump managed to slow the process, Biden's administration, with help from a highly partisan Pentagon, is purging the military of people expressing views with which Democrats disagree while doubling down on race, radical feminism, and transgenderism.  Defense is an afterthought.

On Monday, in honor of International Women's Day, Joe Biden read from his teleprompter about the military's pro-women initiatives.  He boasted about promoting women, combatting sexual assault, and getting them into fighter jets and attack helicopters.  He got a lot of flak for a seemingly silly statement about "maternity flight suits," although healthy pregnant women were already flying during the Trump administration.  Conservatives erred in focusing on this, because there was more going on, and it was quite serious.

The really nasty thing was the implication that the two women Biden was promoting had previously been denied the opportunity because of Trump.  Back in late February, the New York Times had reported that the two women hadn't been promoted last fall because Trump promoted only white men:

For the defense secretary at the time, Mark T. Esper, and Gen. Mark A. Milley, then the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the tricky part was that both of the accomplished officers were women. In 2020 America under President Donald J. Trump, the two Pentagon leaders feared that any candidates other than white men for jobs mostly held by white men might run into turmoil once their nominations reached the White House.

That is complete and unmitigated horsepucky.  First, notice the weasel words about "jobs mostly held by white men."  The left-leaning Council on Foreign Relations looked at both race and sex in the military — and what you'll see if you follow the link is that the military as a whole is predominantly white and male and that the officer ranks roughly reflect the general representation of both women and minorities in the military.  As young officers rise up, and older officers from a more white and male era retire, presumably, the representation will be even more accurate.

Second, going back to the 1970s, Trump was the first major developer in New York City to promote women to important positions.  Trump was also hugely pro-female in his White House hiring, including giving women highly responsible jobs.  He has been the most effortlessly and naturally pro-woman president ever.

Let's be straight here: Esper and Milley were lying.

The fact that the Pentagon would lie this way is an important insight into the problems facing America's military.  As Tucker Carlson explains in a "must-see" video, the Pentagon has become highly partisan — a departure from the American military's 238-year history of being a non-partisan institution.  This trend started under Obama.  Indeed, it probably started even before then, as college graduates marinated in leftism started to rise in the ranks beginning in the late 1980s.

Obama purged generals, presumably for malfeasance or incompetence, but somehow all the ones left behind were Democrats.  His military leaders focused hard on feminism (remember the troops made to walk in high heels?) and encouraged transgender people to serve, as well as promoting homosexual activities — something separate from allowing homosexuals to serve.  And there was the obsession with race in what had long been America's purest meritocracy.  In addition, the military went all in on climate change, which meant subordinating quality to carbon emissions.  All of this took time, energy, money, and focus away from the military's real job: defense.

Trump managed to slow the process.  He poured funding into weapons systems again but still drew the wrath of the military-industrial complex because he refused to start new wars and was drawing down troops from the old wars.  Not only did this put him at odds with weapons-manufacturers, but it also put him at odds with high-level officers who had fewer promotion opportunities and, worse, had fewer chances of highly paid sinecures in the defense industry after they retired.

With Biden in office, all the worst trends are accelerating.  Rather than laboriously write it all out, let me hand the baton to Tucker Carlson, who, after ribbing Biden about maternity flight suits, gets to the main point: the left is turning the military into a partisan institution that is highly focused on "social justice" and that views half of America as the real enemy:

Full Tucker Carlson segment responding to the DOD's criticisms of his show:

"If the Pentagon can show that pregnant pilots are the best, we will be the first to demand an entire air force of them."

"The U.S. military is not a vehicle for achieving equity." pic.twitter.com/kK2mZBWrOr

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 12, 2021

Image: Screen grab from video of troops in high heels.