Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is a rampaging clown who angrily rants about god-knows-what as though it means anything outside of his insular, far-right echo chambers — and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired general, wasn’t interested in putting up with the Florida Congressman’s nonsense during a Congressional hearing this week. As part of Gaetz’s angry rhetoric about the U.S. supposedly failing on key strategic assessments of recent national security issues, Gaetz belligerently ranted that “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 woke-ism.” Austin shot back as follows:
‘Has it occurred to you that Russia has not overrun Ukraine because of what we’ve done? And our allies have done? Have you ever even thought about that?’
@SecDef has a heated exchange with Republican @mattgaetz over America's response to Ukraine crisis: "Has it occurred to you that Russia has not overrun Ukraine because of what we've done? And our allies have done? Have you ever even thought about that?"
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) April 5, 2022
Gaetz also claimed the Biden administration to be “force-feeding” so-called woke-ism to the military. “Woke-ism” has got to be one of the most inane right-wing boogeymen in awhile. It barely means anything other than some kind of vague conglomeration of efforts to be more in line with progress for humanity — efforts for which Republicans like Gaetz clearly harbor utter terror, for some reason. Also, the notion that what Gaetz is complaining about means that the U.S. somehow isn’t still adept at maintaining security when put to the test is just ridiculous. Although presidential budget proposals aren’t binding on Congress, the Biden administration recently released a call for an $813 billion national defense budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which would be the largest yearly defense spending ever undertaken in the United States. Where does Gaetz think the money, however much it ends up being, is going? High-dollar beach vacations? Check out Gaetz and Austin’s exchange below:
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): “You guys said that Russia would overrun Ukraine in 36 days.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin: “Has it occurred to you that Russia has not overrun Ukraine because of what we’ve done? And our allies have done? Have you ever even thought about that?” pic.twitter.com/Wigdb37aSg
— The Recount (@therecount) April 5, 2022
Gaetz — who sounds remarkably arrogant but like he has just no idea what he’s talking about and would be an absolute pain to be around — complained at an apparently earlier point that “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.” Austin cut in, insisting: “Again, this is the most capable, the most combat critical force in the world. It has been, and it will be so going forward… the fact that you are embarrassed by your country… I’m sorry for that” — and amid those pointed remarks, Gaetz cut in, insisting he was actually embarrassed by Austin’s leadership. Gaetz is basically a professionally loudmouthed ignoramus. Why does he keep whining? Check out those comments below:
Heated exchange between @RepMattGaetz and @SecDef Austin.
Secretary Austin: "This is the most capable, the most capable combat critical force in the world…the fact that you are embarrassed by your country–"
Rep. Matt Gaetz: "No. I am embarrassed by your leadership!" pic.twitter.com/U3H1S99GTv
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 5, 2022
