Ron DeSantis chides woke military in Memorial Day interview

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Florida governor and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis spoke out against the “emphasis” on woke “political ideologies” infiltrating the US military in a Memorial Day interview — while vowing there would be “very big changes” if he were elected.

“I think the military that I see is different from the military I served in,” DeSantis, 44, told Fox News Monday morning.

“I see a lot of emphasis now on political ideologies, things like gender pronouns. I see a lot about things like DEI [Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs], and I think that that’s caused recruiting to plummet. I think it’s driven off a lot of warriors and I think morale is low.”

The GOP presidential candidate enrolled in the Navy in 2004 and served in Iraq and at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp as a Judge Advocate General officer.

He was honorably discharged from active duty in 2010 but served in the US Navy Reserve until 2019.

DeSantis vowed there would be “very big changes in the services” to “rejuvenate morale” if he were elected to the top job.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pictured serving in the US Navy. Courtesy of Ron DeSantis
“I think the military that I see is different from the military I served in,” the Navy veteran said. Getty Images/ Chung Sung-Jun

“I think you’ve got to get things re-moored to focusing on the core mission of why people want to join,” he said.

“Why would you have wanted to join the Marine Corps back in the day?,” he asked.

“I mean, I remember being in Iraq, and we and we were in Fallujah, and it was not going well — and yet, people were still willing to sign up knowing they’d get sent to Iraq because they believed that this was something special and I think we’ve lost that a little bit.”

The Navy veteran also said the attacks of 9/11 inspired him to join the armed forces, where he served for 15 years as a lieutenant, SEAL legal advisor and reservist.

“I mean, I’m a Florida guy. I didn’t have any connection in New York City, but it inspired me to join the Navy almost 20 years ago. It had a profound effect on our country,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis said the US needed to “rejuvenate” morale in its armed forces in a Memorial Day interview. REUTERS

Later Monday, the Republican commemorated Memorial Day with hundreds of veterans at a ceremony in Jacksonville, Florida.

DeSantis formally announced his candidacy last week and is polling more than 30 points behind GOP frontrunner and his one-time ally Donald Trump, 76, who is vying for two non-consecutive presidential terms amid a swirl of criminal investigations and charges.

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