In a recent development, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has rescinded the nomination of Rear Admiral Michael P. Donnelly for the position of Vice Admiral.
This decision was made following revelations that drag performances were conducted aboard the USS Ronald Reagan during Donnelly's tenure as commander.
The Daily Wire broke the news, revealing that Donnelly's nomination was withdrawn due to his sanctioning of drag performances by Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, who performed under the pseudonym "Harpy Daniels." These performances were held during Donnelly's command from April 2016 to September 2018 and were billed as a "Morale, Welfare, and Recreation" event.
Donnelly's nomination for promotion was initially proposed by President Donald Trump on June 18. If confirmed, Donnelly would have also assumed command of the 7th Fleet, the Navy's largest overseas force. However, according to the Western Journal, Hegseth withdrew Donnelly's nomination following repeated media inquiries and is currently seeking a replacement candidate.
The question that arises is how Donnelly managed to bypass Trump's vetting team. This isn't the first time Donnelly's nomination has been challenged due to concerns about his questionable decisions. Reports dating back to 2018 from The Military Times and The Daily Caller have previously covered this issue.
Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama also previously obstructed Donnelly's promotion to rear admiral, as part of an effort to halt Defense Department promotions initiated during the Biden era.
William Thibeau, director of The American Military Project at The Claremont Institute, provided insight into the situation. He told The Daily Wire, "The USS Ronald Reagan drag shows of 2017 and 2018 were not random acts of entertainment for sailors, but were sanctioned Navy programs under the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) department of the ship." Thibeau added, "As commander of the ship, Captain Donnelly would have been ultimately responsible for this program."
The decision to allow drag performances on a naval aircraft carrier reflects a severe lapse in judgement and moral clarity. It raises questions about Donnelly's priorities and his suitability for a leadership role within the armed forces.
Aircraft carriers are strategic military assets that must be prepared for combat at all times. They are not appropriate venues for sexualized cross-dressing performances. The key takeaway from this incident is the need for more rigorous vetting of nominees, as mistakes from the first term may have lingering effects on the administration.
Hegseth has been proactive in his role. In June, he took measures to depoliticize ship naming by renaming the USNS Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. Harvey Milk, a gay left-wing activist known for his role in San Francisco's local government in the 1970s and for sexually assaulting a minor, was replaced by Peterson, a Navy veteran and hero who sacrificed his life for his shipmates and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Hegseth stated in a social media video, "We are taking the politics out of ship naming. This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration. Instead we're renaming the ship after a United States Navy Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. As it should be. People want to be proud of the ship they're sailing in."
Despite Hegseth's efforts, it appears that federal agencies still require additional resources and personnel to prevent similar situations from arising in the future.
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