Senate Candidate: Using Drag Queen To Recruit For Navy Not What People Want

It's rare when a politician speaks the unvarnished truth despite risk of backlash, but one example came Wednesday night during the debate in Virginia's U.S. Senate race between incumbent Tim Kaine and Hung Cao.

Virginia is in many ways a military state. 

It has more than two dozen military bases and, in the latest figures from 2022, approximately 125,000 military personnel made their home in the commonwealth.

CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA - JUNE 28: Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia Hung Cao joins Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump onstage during a rally at Greenbrier Farms on June 28, 2024 in Chesapeake, Virginia. Last night Trump and U.S. President Joe Biden took part in the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

‘Henry’ Cao Speaks Truth

So Cao, a retired Navy captain, referred to the Navy's situation when he was asked about his previous comments about the White House's "growing obsession" with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as part of the military. 

Cao, who came to America from Vietnam in 1975, was asked to explain how he believes DEI could affect military recruitment. 

"When you're using, you know, a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that's not what the people want," Cao said on stage. "What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds. 

"Those are the young men and women who are going to win wars."

Submitting to the fact check office for inspection.

Still inspecting.

Fact check complete. No lies found.

Navy recruitment has been bad recently. The U.S. Navy missed its recruiting goals for the first time in 2023 and is expected to miss goals in 2024.

Navy Used Drag Queen Recruiter

In 2023 the Navy appointed Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley as one of its digital recruiters. Kelley has a "stage name."

It's Harpy Daniels.

And this active duty person who identifies as non-binary is a drag queen.

The program that used Kelley or Daniels – depending on if this person is wearing a dress – has since ended under congressional pressure.

Kaine apparently was confused by the whole thing, saying he "didn't understand my opponent's argument."

"DEI is a red-herring," Kaine added.

WASHINGTON - JULY 4: Hung Cao, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia, stands with family and supporters before the start of the Independence Day Parade in Leesburg, Va., on Thursday, July 4, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Cao Trails In Virginia Polls

It's not that hard. 

If you are going to tilt the field in favor of some people, it stands to reason other people not in the favored class may choose to work elsewhere where the playing field is level. 

What about this difficult to understand?

Kaine, by the way, is leading Cao in polls by about 10 points.

Yeah, China's military is laughing at us.

So is Iran.

So is Russia.