A former Space Force officer who was booted from the service after making unfounded allegations that Marxism was spreading throughout the military has been confirmed by the Senate to be the Air Force's No. 2 civilian.
In a 52-46 party-line vote Thursday, the Senate approved former Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier to become the under secretary of the Air Force.
Under secretaries are typically seen as the day-to-day managers of the military services, essentially serving as the chief management officer while the secretary serves as chief executive officer. But for the Air Force, as well as the Navy, President Donald Trump nominated an under secretary known more for his culture warrior status than managerial experience.
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Lohmeier met Trump during the presidential campaign last year, asking at a town hall whether he would support creating a task force to root out "monsters" who support diversity and inclusion policies. Trump backed the idea and told Lohmeier that "I'm going to put you on that task force."
Lohmeier first entered the public consciousness in 2021 after he self-published a book called "Irresistible Revolution: Marxism's Goal of Conquest and the Unmaking of the American Military" and appeared on a conservative podcast to promote the book. On the podcast, Lohmeier claimed that diversity and inclusion initiatives are "rooted in Marxism," a popular conservative accusation.
After the podcast, Lohmeier was fired from command of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado by then-Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting. Notably, Whiting is now the four-star in charge of U.S. Space Command.
At Lohmeier's confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in May, Democrats grilled him about his firing, as well as social media posts promising "serious consequences" for unnamed senior leaders who he said politicized the military and falsely claiming the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters was a "a gov't-led false flag and hoax."
Lohmeier said at the hearing that he would seek accountability from service members and leaders, but that his post about consequences "was not intended to be retroactive or retributional in nature." He also maintained that Democrats mischaracterized his post about Jan. 6, but wouldn't directly answer whether he believes the attack was a hoax and claimed that "there's so much uncertainty about what was really going on."
Democrats argued Lohmeier's track record, including about Jan. 6, should be disqualifying.
"I would ask all my colleagues who were there that day, and who were in danger, if it was a hoax and a false flag operation," Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on the Senate floor Wednesday. "If you think it was, and is, an attack on our Constitution -- and on ourselves -- this is not the gentleman to be the deputy secretary of the United States Air Force."
But the Democratic opposition was not enough to derail Lohmeier's confirmation in a chamber controlled by Republicans. Every Republican who voted Thursday backed him.
At the May hearing, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., praised Lohmeier as "an outspoken proponent of eliminating the divisive" diversity efforts in the military and said his nomination "represents an opportunity to evaluate closely the kind of leadership we need in the Air Force and Space Force at this pivotal moment."
Lohmeier's approval comes as senators work to make progress on confirming Trump's nominees ahead of a monthlong summer break.
Just before senators started voting on Lohmeier on Thursday, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a confirmation hearing for Trump's choice to be the next chief of naval operations, Adm. Daryl Caudle.
While the circumstances of Caudle's nomination as the replacement for Adm. Lisa Franchetti, whom Trump fired without explanation, were controversial, Caudle breezed through his hearing, suggesting he will be easily confirmed on a bipartisan basis.
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