Hung Cao, the Republican Senate nominee in Virginia, disparaged drag queens and people who find themselves tolerant of them by implying Wednesday that they don’t seem to be powerful sufficient to serve within the navy.
Cao made the remarks in a televised debate in opposition to Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine when one of many moderators requested him about his earlier feedback tying what he referred to as the White House’s “rising obsession” with variety, fairness and inclusion, or DEI, to navy recruitment points. Cao, a Navy veteran, was requested to clarify how he believes DEI may have an effect on navy recruitment.
“When you’re utilizing a, you already know, drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the folks we wish,” Cao mentioned after he was pressed in regards to the problem following his preliminary response. “What we’d like is alpha males and alpha females who’re going to tear out their very own guts, eat them and ask for seconds. Those are younger women and men which are going to win wars.”
During the Biden administration, the Navy reportedly had a Digital Ambassador Pilot Program for recruitment that included a petty officer second class who additionally carried out in drag, prompting Republican pushback. The program led to April 2023 and was not continued, the undersecretary of the Navy wrote in a letter to Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who had objected to this system.
Reached for remark in regards to the debate remarks, Cao’s marketing campaign responded with a press release from him saying, “I simply mentioned what everybody believes as reality.”
He then reiterated his response from the controversy and added that women and men who “rip out their very own guts” are those who “are going to win wars. Not drag queens.”
Cao has posted a clip of the change to his X account, threading a hyperlink for supporters to donate to his marketing campaign.
According to his marketing campaign web site, Cao is a retired Navy captain who served with particular operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. He additionally had noncombat assignments in collaboration with the Navy, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
He made the Wednesday throughout a dialogue of the navy’s historical past of failure to fulfill its recruitment targets lately.
Kaine responded mentioned that he “did not perceive my opponent’s argument.”
Kaine, who was former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s operating mate in 2016, mentioned the navy wanted to achieve out to new constituencies and persuade folks about the advantages of navy service.
“‘DEI’ is a purple herring,” he mentioned.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Cao within the Senate GOP major; Cao later spoke on the Republican National Convention.
The Cook Political Report, which examines the competitiveness of congressional seats and the presidential race, characterizes the Virginia Senate seat as “strong” Democrat.