Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan had criticized a suggestion made by a colleague that nearly 10% of America’s military service members may ascribe to ideology labeled “violent extremist” or “white supremacist”. If the claim turned out to be true, a press release from Sen. Sullivan says that claim would amount to over 200,000 military personnel.
In a corresponding video posted to his website, Sullivan, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a Marine Corps Reserve Colonel, can be seen speaking to General Stephen Lyons, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command and General Tod Wolters, commander of the U.S. European Command. In the video, all three can be seen rebutting the claim.
On March 5th, Sen. Sullivan asked President Biden’s nominee to serve as undersecretary of defense for policy, Colin Kahl, regarding his claim that there exists systemic racism within the ranks of the U.S. military. According to a press release from Sen. Sullivan, Kahl didn’t present data or evidence to support the assertion. In the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Sen. Sullivan included an amendment requiring the Pentagon to produce a report on diversity and inclusion in the Armed Forces, including providing data to identify racial inequities that may exist in the military.