Congress

Mark Milley disagrees with Trump pick on women in combat

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

Retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, the former chair of the joint chiefs of staff, is defending the role of women in combat — clashing with the views of Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Pentagon.

Milley, who served as the top U.S. military officer under Trump and President Joe Biden until his retirement in 2023, said at an event Wednesday that women have served in battle throughout history.

And he pointedly recalled the service of an Army nurse who braved minefields to save fellow service members and was killed in action.

“Don’t lecture me about women in combat,” Milley said at a national security innovation event hosted by the Pallas Foundation. “Women have been in combat, and it doesn’t matter if that 7.62 [caliber round] hits you in the chest. No one gives a shit if it’s a woman or a guy to pull that trigger, you’re still dead.”

His remarks come after Pete Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran and Fox TV host nominated by Trump to be defense secretary, faced public criticism for saying women should not serve in combat.

Milley was elevated to the U.S. military’s top job by Trump in 2019 but has since been sharply critical of him. He described the now president-elect as “fascist to the core” in a book by journalist Bob Woodward.

Trump and Hegseth have been sharply critical of the military and what they call “woke generals.” Milley, who did not specifically mention the nominee during the event, made it clear to the audience that he views the military as a meritocracy.

“If you meet the standards, our military must be, and always should be, a standards-based, merit-based military period, full stop,” he said.

Women have been allowed to serve in frontline combat roles since 2015, when then-U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter ordered the U.S. military to open all jobs to women. Hegseth, who said the inclusion of women in combat units has “made fighting more complicated,” has argued that women can still serve, just not in jobs such as armor, artillery, infantry or in the special operations community.

Milley’s remarks come after the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters traveling with him in Laos earlier Wednesday that the military should not take women out of frontline combat roles.

“I think our women add significant value to the United States military and we should never change that,” Austin said, adding that his message to women in uniform was that “ we need you, we have faith in you, we are appreciative of your service, and you add value to the finest and most lethal fighting force on Earth.”

Milley was also pressed on whether the U.S. would continue to be a reliable international partner under Trump. Trump has often questioned the value of longstanding alliances such as NATO. Milley predicted a “retraction” in U.S. military engagement abroad over the long term, but stopped short of saying the U.S. is drifting to isolationism.

“I wouldn’t say we’re going to be isolationists,” Milley said. “I wouldn’t go that far, but there’s a probability that there’ll be some sort of retraction over time — this isn’t going to be instant — over time, of US military forces overseas.”

Milley sidestepped questions about whether reports the incoming administration could create a “warrior board” of retired military officers to review sitting generals and admirals or attempt to court martial officers would have a chilling effect on the force or recruitment.

“I would imagine right now that there’s probably some eyebrows being raised in the Pentagon or out in units. I don’t think they’re obsessed with it, to tell you the truth, because they don’t know what it means,” Milley said. “They don’t know what it consists of. No one has actually laid any of this stuff out.”

Congress

Ernst to head new Senate DOGE Caucus

Published

9 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Blue Light Newsroom

President-elect Donald Trump’s big plan to have Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy shape federal cost cutting has a new partnership with the Senate.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) will take charge of a new Senate DOGE Caucus, which will work with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk and Ramaswamy.

The DOGE group will be eyeing massive cuts to federal spending and the government workforce. The commission has been tasked with coordinating with and advising the White House and Office of Management and Budget.

“The tables are finally turning, the knives are out, and waste is on the chopping block,” Ernst said in a statement. “The Senate DOGE Caucus is ready to carry out critical oversight in Congress and use our legislative force to fight against the entrenched bureaucracy, trim the fat, and get Washington back to work for Americans.”

“We look forward to partnering with the Senate to downsize government. Grateful to Sen. Joni Ernst for her excellent suggestions yesterday!” Ramaswamy posted Friday on social media.

The New York Post first reported Ernst’s leadership of the new caucus.

The pair met at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort Thursday night, according to a person familiar with the meeting.

Other founding members of the caucus are Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.). None serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which writes federal spending bills.

“Let’s start cutting some government!” Lee posted Friday.

The Senate move follows action in the House, where Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) will lead a new House Oversight subcommittee on DOGE.

Jordain Carney contributed to this report.

Congress

Gaetz joins Cameo, charging hundreds for personalized video messages

Published

10 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Blue Light Newsroom

Matt Gaetz is following in the footsteps of another Republican who left Congress under a cloud of controversy … by joining Cameo.

A day after withdrawing from consideration as Donald Trump’s attorney general — and hours after the now-former Florida representative said in an interview that he would not return for the next Congress — Gaetz created an account on the app where celebrities and other public figures can charge hundreds of dollars or more for personalized video messages.

“I served in Congress. Trump nominated me to be US Attorney General (that didn’t work out). Once I fired the House Speaker,” reads the profile for the “Former Florida Congressman” that’s charging upwards of $500 a video. Semafor first reported Gaetz’s account.

Gaetz follows his one-time colleague, former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) — who was expelled from Congress late last year after a scathing ethics report into his conduct — in attempting to cash in on his fame on Cameo. Santos, who lists himself as a “Former congressional ‘icon,’” charges upwards of $250 for his videos.

Olivia Beavers contributed to this report.

Congress

Florida sets special election to fill Matt Gaetz vacancy on April Fool’s day

Published

11 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Blue Light Newsroom

MIAMI — Florida will conduct a special election on April 1, 2025, to fill the House seat vacated by Matt Gaetz, kicking off a sprint among Florida Republicans to represent the deep-red district.

Gaetz resigned from Congress after President-elect Donald Trump said he planned to appoint him as attorney general. He then dropped out of the running for that job on Thursday, citing the “distraction” of the upcoming confirmation process, which had raised questions about sexual misconduct and drug use allegations that he denies. Trump instead said he planned to nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.

On Friday morning, Gaetz said he did not plan to return to Congress but hasn’t announced what he’ll do next.

“I’m gonna be fighting for President Trump,” Gaetz told Charlie Kirk on his radio show. “I’m gonna be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have. But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.”

It takes several months to fill the seat in the 1st District because of requirements around qualifying, overseas ballot deadlines and the need to hold both a primary and general election.

The primaries are set for January 28, but whoever wins the GOP nomination will be the heavy favorite over the Democratic pick.

“At Gov. Ron DeSantis’ direction, this special election is being conducted as quickly as statutorily possible,” Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd said in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring this election is held as soon as we are allowed to hold it by state law.”

GOP State Rep. Michelle Salzman filed on Tuesday to run for Gaetz’s 1st District, while Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said he was “strongly considering” doing the same. “We’ve got a historic opportunity to fight the swamp, end lawfare and return power back into the hands of Americans,” he wrote on X.

GOP State Rep. Joel Rudman also has filed to run, saying in a press release Friday morning that he would “stand in lockstep” with Trump. Another name floated for the District 1 seat is DeSantis chief of staff James Uthmeier.

If Patronis were to run, then DeSantis would get to select his replacement for CFO. That would help line up a challenge in 2026 to state Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), who has already filed to run for the position and has the Trump endorsement — but is a longtime DeSantis foe.

An endorsement by Trump in the race would likely serve to anoint the future representative. Salzman endorsed DeSantis in the primary while Patronis — who’d been weighing a 2026 gubernatorial run — stayed neutral until DeSantis dropped out.

Florida will soon have another special election to schedule. Trump also tapped Rep. Mike Waltz to be his national security adviser. But that special election isn’t on the calendar yet because Waltz has not announced when he will resign and could serve at the start of the new Congress next year — which is not unusual for members nominated to serve in a president-elect’s administration.