Matt Lohmeier felt the Biden administration’s commitment to DEI firsthand when he was forced out of the U.S. Air Force following the publication of his book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military.” According to his website, “for publishing and speaking about his book, then-Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier was relieved of his command and subjected to an Inspector General investigation launched from the Pentagon.”
Now the former fighter pilot and squadron commander is a public speaker and consultant. He contends there’s hope to reclaim America’s military and businesses from critical race theory and "woke ideology," but warns it’s not time for a victory lap just yet.
“I’m encouraged some days of the week when I see news headlines suggesting that certain businesses or corporations are abandoning their DEI initiatives or at least … backing off from aggressively pursuing those initiatives, ” Lohmeier said on Washington Watch Friday. “[But] every time that I get encouraged and it seems like one or two institutions or businesses have backed away from it, two or three more have just doubled down their efforts or dug in their heels even more aggressively.”
Kicking DEI out the Window(s)
Microsoft in July laid off its DEI team, according to an email obtained by Business Insider. Days later John Deere, producer of tractors and farm equipment, announced it was getting rid of its DEI policies.
Similar decisions have taken place at tech giants Google, Meta and Zoom as well as businesses like Tesla, DoorDash, Home Depot, Wayfair and more, according to The New York Post.
Microsoft, however, pledged to invest $150 million into its DEI push, which involved doubling the number of black and Hispanic leaders by 2025. “As we move forward, our D&I commitments remain unchanged,” Microsoft spokesperson Jeff Jones told The Post last month.
But while the private sector pushes back, government holds on – a decision that was near catastrophic for former President Donald Trump at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, The Post writes. Lohmeier agrees.
“There is a growing influence, and it’s a negative influence, in the Defense Department ever since this administration came into office,” he told show host Jody Hice.
It hasn’t been only with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. There have been numerous military commanders – starting at the top with Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin – who fully support DEI and are eager to enforce administration policies, Lohmeier noted.
“All of these senior leaders buy into this policy that’s been established by this administration, and it has found its way into every branch of the military and all of the military workplaces to a lesser or greater degree, and now into our military service academies across all of the service academies,” he added.
Training slides leaked to Lohmeier’s STARRS group – Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services – showed Air Force commanders encouraging young cadets to avoid using the terms “mom and dad,” he cited as an example.
More work to be done
While Lohmeier admits being encouraged by the moves of some businesses away from DEI and wokeness, he submits there’s work to be done on many other fronts – particularly the military.
“What I’ve seen up until this point is quite divisive. It’s hurting our recruiting and retention efforts, as everyone has seen, and it’s not yet gone away. So, this presidential election is as critical of an election as we’ve ever had before,” Lohmeier concluded.
