Heated: Matt Gaetz dresses down defense secretary for wokeness, ‘I’m embarrassed by your leadership!’

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Sparks flew between Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Tuesday as a House Armed Services Committee hearing turned contentious when the Pentagon boss bristled at the concept of congressional oversight.

Austin and fellow officials including “woke” Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley made the trip to Capitol Hill where they were grilled over the 2023 Defense budget, a $773 billion request that drew criticism by the Florida congressman who clashed with Austin over military strategy, the debacles in Afghanistan and Ukraine and the Pentagon’s embrace of far-left ideology under the Biden regime, particularly Critical Race Theory indoctrination in the ranks.

While the majority of the hearing was uneventful, the atmosphere in the room turned tense when a back and forth between Austin and Gaetz became heated, resulting in a fiery rebuke of the former Raytheon lobbyist who was plucked from the corporate world by President Joe Biden who sought to make an impact with his base with another appointment based on race and gender, a tendency that continues to repeat itself.

“You guys have been blowing a lot of calls lately on matters of strategy, Mr. Secretary,” Gaetz said. “You guys told us that Russia couldn’t lose, you told us that the Taliban couldn’t immediately win, and so I guess I’m wondering, what in the $773 billion that you’re requesting today is going to help you make assessments that are accurate in the face of so many blown calls?”

After fixing the congressman with a nasty stare, Austin replied. “You’ve seen what’s in our budget, you’ve seen how the budget matches the strategy, and so I’ll let that speak for itself.”

“I’ve also seen that we’re behind, Mr. Secretary,” Gaetz replied as the SECDEF talked over him, “We’re behind in hypersonics, we failed to deter Russia, last year…”

“What do you mean we’re behind in hypersonics,” snapped Austin, “how do you make that assessment?”

The two then jousted verbally with the former four-star Army general continually interrupting before Gaetz could finish his question.

“By the way, your own people brief us that we are behind and China is winning,” as the Florida Republican regained control, “are you aware of the briefings we get on hypersonics?”

“I am certainly aware of briefings that we provide to Congress,” Austin said.

Rep. Gaetz continued, “But it’s not just the hypersonics, it’s all over the world, it’s in Taiwan where China last year flew more sorties than ever before, it’s North Korea, on pace to shatter prior records, the number of missiles that they are testing and so while everyone else in the world seems to be developing capabilities and being more strategic, we got time to embrace Critical Race Theory at West Point, to embrace socialism at the National Defense University, to do mandatory pronoun training, do you…”

Austin shot back, “You know again, this is the most capable, the most combat critical force in the world, it has been, and it will be so going forward.”

Gaetz responded, “Not if we continue down this path, not if we embrace socialism…” as the Pentagon chief continued to talk over him.

“The fact that you’re embarrassed by your, by your country,” Austin sniped, inadvertently setting himself up for what came next.

“No, no, no, I’m embarrassed by your leadership, I am not embarrassed by my country,” Gaetz said as he dropped the bunker buster on the overmatched bureaucrat. “I wish that we were not losing to China,”

“You know what?” Gaetz asked. “That is so disgraceful, that you would sit here and conflate your failures with the failures of the uniformed service members.”

“You guys said that Russia would overrun Ukraine in 36 days, you said that the Taliban would be kept at bay for months, you totally blew those calls and maybe we would be better at them if the National Defense University actually worked a little more on strategy and a little less on wokeism,” Gaetz said.

Austin objected, “Has it occurred to you that Russia has not overrun Ukraine because of what we’ve done, and our allies have done?”

“But that was baked into your flawed assessment,” Gaetz answered, “that was baked into your flawed assessment and so I saw that the Obama administration tried to destroy our military by starving it of resources and it seems the Biden administration is trying to destroy our military by force-feeding it wokeism, I yield back,” he said, getting in the last word over the rude and disrespectful Pentagon chief.

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24 thoughts on “Heated: Matt Gaetz dresses down defense secretary for wokeness, ‘I’m embarrassed by your leadership!’

  1. I am a disabled Veteran, 78 years old, and this is the worst joint chiefs of staff America haseverhad!

  2. “Secretary” Austin would not even qualify for a REAL secretary job!! What a PATHETIC excuse for a LEADER!! Once again it appears that the DEMOcrats reached DOWN into the barrel of INCOMPETENCE and PICKED A WIENER!!

  3. This is why I love Matt Gaetz. Austin is a woke TV general. The only person he should have any authority over is Captain Obvious from hotels.com. These swamp generals thing they don’t have to answers to anyone….especially an elected official. I’m sure it absolutely makes their blood boil. Just wait until President Trump, another elected official and a real commander in chief, is back in the White House to clean up your messes.

  4. And as usual… Too bad MAYBE only a few million out of a country with 300MILLION will see this. Pathetic!

  5. OMG, a politician FINALLY dragged these inept, woke, decrepit, useless military morons over the coals, AS THEY SHOULD BE!! GO, Mr. Gaetz and DO NOT STOP.

    Our military is no longer a strong, cohesive unit, but a haven of woke driven culture. Three years ago, had we had a conflict with Russia or China, we would have won and handily. That is why they were limited in their military ventures. Now they have been emboldened because they know, as do any intelligent person in this country, that they would handily win over the USA in a conflict. Our military has been SEVERLY diminished because of Austin and Milley, who, of course, were put there by Biden!!

    And to all you woke idiots (sorry to insult idiots); you should enlist in the military to fight the next battle and teach our military how it is done. You will all find out that winning a war has NOTHING to do with preferred pronouns or gender fantasy.

  6. You go Matt! This is the kind of Republican that we need to be Speaker of The House next January. Not that wishywashy rino McCarthy. Need a strong leader in Senate too. McConnell and McCarthy are swamp creatures as far as I can see.

  7. It seems only logical to me that the Secretary of Defense should have at least served in the military. Secondly or she should have also worked their way up through the ranks and excelled to a respected position of authority. The reason he took so long to answer Matts question is because he didnt have a good answer and was stumped . So he tried to use diversion to justify his own stupidity. That happens when your caught with your pants down which makes me wonder what he did to Biden to acquire that job. Matt would make a good V.P. for DeSantis if Trump decides not to run. As far as Austin is concerned, hes full of Garbage, Man. Maybe hes qualified for that job.

    1. You do know the Austin is a retired 4 star who led the 3ID’s attack on Bagdad during the first gulf war and commaned the 10th Mountain Div in Afghanistan….right?

        1. Actually no, he was in the lead element into Bagdad and was not shy abou leaving the FOB in Afghanistan as a division commander. I don’t agree with much he has done as SECDEF but I will not his military record be tarnished. And for those who say he’s an obama general, he had two stars before the Kenyan

  8. Biden’s entire Cabinet is made up of Affirmative Action A-holes. Not one of them is truly qualified to hold these positions of extreme authority!

  9. This is what happens when you take an Affirmative Action genera, who was as bad as they come, and make him an Affirmative Action secretary of defense. Let’s go Brandon. FJB

  10. Someone needs to speak up and Matt is the only one that has the guts to do it. Kudos to Matt.

  11. Can’t wait to see what lies Twitter allows the dims to start posting about Matt Getz. He causes them to wake up sweating with night terrors!

  12. Austin is just a RECYCLED LOBBIEST for the Military Industrial Complex that should have NEVER been given the Position he holds by the DEMENTED JOE “administration” and the KING LUNATIC that PRETENDS to be the “president” ! There were PLENTY of choices for his position but CORRUPTION AND STUPIDITY were obviously the boxes that Dementia Joe wanted ticked !

  13. They trot these stooges to the Capitol to take the slings and arrows from Congress. Makes for great TV.
    Call me when this scum is dangling from a lamp post.

  14. Once again, Austin either lied or is incredibly inept. Every expert I can find agrees the US is behind Russia and China in hypersonic missile technology development. I have no doubt that information was in the briefings to Congress.

    U.S. Space Force Gen. David Thompson said the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force are all working on hypersonic weapon programs, but the programs are not as advanced as those under development in China and Russia.

  15. This is one of the best smack downs in political history putting a 4 star general in his place. Wow Gaetz is one bad hombre. I’ll be damn if that general didn’t get his a** “Woked” today….

    1. He’s NOT actually a REAL 4 Star “general”………just a RECYCLED LOBBIEST that Dementia Joe gave a UNIFORM to !

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