May 17 (UPI) — Republicans in Congress expressed outrage over the firing of a U.S. Space Force commander whose new book suggests a Marxist agenda in the U.S. military.
Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, commander of 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., was relieved on Friday by Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of Space Operations Command.
Lohmeier’s self-published book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military,” alleges that a Marxist plot is subverting the U.S. armed forces and will lead to an overthrow of the government.
The relief of command, first reported by Military.com, followed comments he made on several podcasts to promote the book.
On one podcast promoting the book at Rumble.com, Lohmeier, a 10-year Air Force veteran who joined the Space Force in 2020, said in part, “The diversity, inclusion and equity industry and the trainings we are receiving in the military … is rooted in critical race theory, which is rooted in Marxism.”
“I don’t demonize the man, but I want to make it clear to both him and every service member this agenda, it will divide us, it will not unify us,” Lohmeier said.
Lohmeier was also critical of the efforts of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who in March ordered a military-wide stand down to deal with extremism in the military’s ranks, and to encourage diversity and inclusion.
The stand down followed the discovery of active and former military personnel participating in the mob that stormed the Capitol building in January.
Space Force officials told the Washington Post an investigation has started into whether Lohmeier’s comments “constituted prohibited partisan political activity.”
By Monday, some Republicans in Congress offered opinions of the firing.
“Far left critical race theory is taught while speaking out against MARXISM is punished??” Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, a former Navy SEAL, said on Twitter.
“It’s outrageous that Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier was removed from his command in the Space Force for voicing concerns that the U.S. military is promoting Marxist ideologies,” added Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo.
“Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier is a hero, not only for putting on the uniform every day to defend our nation but also to defend the freedoms of the leftist mob attempting to cancel him,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said on Twitter.
“It’s outrageous that Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier was removed from his command in the Space Force for voicing concerns that the U.S. military is promoting Marxist ideologies,” tweeted Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado.
Rep. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the firing “troubling” in a Twitter message, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., added in a Twitter message that “We need the SecDef before the Armed Services committee.”
