Trump Taps Former Space Force Commander as Air Force Undersecretary

Matthew Lohmeier, a former Area Pressure commander, has been nominated to function undersecretary of the Air Pressure within the incoming Trump administration.

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, a former Area Pressure commander, to function the subsequent United States undersecretary of the Air Pressure.

“Matt is a former fighter pilot, and Area Pressure Squadron Commander, who has devoted his life to serving our Nice Nation,” Trump mentioned in a Jan. 17 publish on Reality Social.

Lohmeier, who headed the eleventh Area Warning Squadron within the Area Pressure, was fired in 2021 after he appeared on a podcast to advertise a e book he wrote that claims Marxism is spreading within the army. Within the look, he criticized U.S. establishments, together with the army, universities, and media, for adopting what he characterised as leftist practices similar to range coaching, blaming them for the nation’s rising divisions.

After Trump’s electoral victory within the November presidential race, Lohmeier instructed the Every day Mail that a lot of his former colleagues in uniform have reached out to him to share their pleasure concerning the incoming administration and their hopes that Trump’s decide for secretary of protection, Pete Hegseth, would drive optimistic change within the army.

“They’ve expressed pleasure about, hopefully, a return to a easy sole give attention to warfighting and never about politics and race discussions and political activist agendas,” Lohmeier instructed the outlet on Nov. 17.

In asserting Lohmeier’s nomination to function undersecretary of the Air Pressure, Trump mentioned he appears ahead to him working intently with Hegseth, who can also be a critic of range, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) and different progressive insurance policies within the army.

“Matthew will work with the GREAT Secretary of Protection Nominee, Pete Hegseth, to finish the devastating ‘woke’ insurance policies which have destroyed our Army, and make our Nation STRONG AGAIN,” Trump wrote.

In a publish on social media, Lohmeier thanked Trump for the nomination, whereas taking the chance to encourage People to enlist within the armed forces.

“I’m grateful in your belief, and am very a lot wanting ahead to persevering with my service to our nice women and men in uniform,” he wrote. “To all women and men with a need to serve your nation in uniform, come be a part of us now! We would like the very best, brightest, and strongest of you at this crucial juncture in American historical past.”

In 2021, after he was knowledgeable he was being dismissed from the army, Lohmeier appeared on an episode of The Epoch Occasions’ “American Thought Leaders” program. Within the look, he mentioned that neither his e book nor his remarks throughout the podcast have been partisan.

“It’s not politically partisan to show Marxist ideology the place it exists and to speak about crucial race idea; that must be one thing we’re unitedly standing towards,” he mentioned on the time.

In the meantime, Hegseth appeared earlier than the Senate Armed Companies Committee on Jan. 14 to make his case to turn into the subsequent secretary of protection. He mentioned he would give attention to bettering the warfighting functionality of the army with out regard for the political affiliations of its servicemembers.

“We’ll stay patriotically apolitical and stridently constitutional,” he mentioned, including that each he and Trump need “a Pentagon laser-focused on lethality, meritocracy, warfighting, accountability, and readiness.”