A woke general who delighted in trolling Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Twitter for criticizing the “feminization” of the armed forces, has been reprimanded by the US Inspector General’s Office for “discrediting” and bringing “negative publicity” to the military.
Major Gen. Patrick Donahoe got spanked by the Army for “improper use of social media, toxic and counterproductive leadership, and failing to treat a subordinate with dignity and respect,” according to a report that Task & Purpose got a hold of.
The report takes issue with the negative publicity engendered due to an online spat between Donahoe, Carlson, and Marine veteran and COVID-vaccine skeptic Josiah Lippincott.
Donahoe was investigated over the issue. He was also looked at for his public engagement with a female junior officer who was being harassed on Twitter. That is evidently against the rules because it involved matters “unrelated” to training.
In an oddly worded comment that attempts to straddle the political fence, the Inspector General noted that while the general’s actions were “potentially admirable,” they ultimately embarrassed the military.
“His post brought a measurable amount of negative publicity to the Army, enough that [the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs] warned [the Secretary of the Army] of the fallout,” the report contended.
Army Times first reported that the general was under investigation.
Donahoe has over 23,000 followers on Twitter. The primary complaint against him occurred last year when he called out Carlson over women in the military.
Carlson commented in March 2021 that the military was becoming “more feminine” after the Army put in place new policies making it easier for women to serve.
“While China’s military becomes more masculine as it has assembled the world’s largest navy, our military needs to become as, Joe Biden says, more feminine — whatever feminine means anymore,” Carlson said at the time.
Donahoe tweeted a video of him conducting a re-enlistment ceremony for a female staff sergeant, asserting that Carlson “couldn’t be more wrong.” Since that time, the general has made his Twitter page private.
That comment resulted in a chain reaction of other high-ranking officers dumping on Carlson. Sgt. Maj. Michael Grinston called the conservative pundit “divisive.”
Carlson responded by doing a segment in July giving special time and emphasis to Donahoe’s Twitter activity and highlighting his attacks on others who don’t agree with him.
(Video Credit: Fox News)
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) wrote Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin regarding Donahoe and other military leaders’ public criticism of Carlson.
“This spectacle risks politicizing the military after several centuries of efforts to keep military officials out of domestic affairs, undermining civil-military relations by having the military take a side in a contentious cultural dispute and the perception that military leaders are happily weaponizing the institution against political critics of the sitting administration,” Cruz charged in his letter.
Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith remarked via a statement, “[As] a general principle, the Army expects all Soldiers to appropriately use social media to communicate, to demonstrate professionalism at all times, and to treat people with dignity and respect, as required by both DoD and Army policy.”
The investigation shows that Donahoe heatedly defended his actions and claimed that his superiors never ordered him to delete his tweets, according to the New York Post.
The general was expected to retire soon. Not soon enough evidently. According to the report, he has been “temporarily assigned as a special assistant to the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.”
The report also noted the online faceoff between Donahoe and Lippincott, a fellow service member and graduate student at the conservative Hillsdale University.
After the general tweeted out encouragement to service members to get the COVID jab, Lippincott responded by comparing the virus with suicides in the military.
“There were 26 more suicides than in Q4 2019. There have been 26 Covid deaths TOTAL in DoD,” Lippincott tweeted at the time. “The lockdowns, liberty restrictions, quarantines and general disruption of servicemember’s lives is a way bigger killer than the virus.”
Donahoe didn’t appreciate the tweet in the least and called the argument a “false equivalency.” A spat ensued and Donahoe tweeted, “Hey @Hillsdale come get your boy.”
The report notes that the general admitted his comment was “snarky” and “beneath him.”
Lippincott went on Fox News host Laura Ingraham’s show and blasted Donahoe even further for his Twitter bullying.
(Video Credit: Fox News)
“The media and public outcry demonstrated MG Donahoe had not thought about what he typed before he posted his tweets to Mr. Carlson or Mr. Lippincott, nor had he given any consideration of the impacts given their larger audience of followers,” the report charged.
The Department of Defense is rolling out its first department-wide social media policy. The investigation is central to the department calling on servicemembers to separate their personal and professional online accounts and follow a new set of guidelines.
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