The United States Navy has revealed that it turned to a drag queen “digital ambassador” to help meet its recruiting goals–which it is currently expected to undershoot by about 8,000 enlistees. Angry veterans vented their outrage on social media this week, calling out the government’s efforts to make the military “woke” and expressing fears that the armed services may no longer be up to defending America.
Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, who goes by the stage name “Harpy Daniels,” originally announced back in November that he had been brought aboard the Navy’s social media team as one of five “digital ambassadors” to help pump up recruiting numbers. Kelley, who has 1.3 million likes on TikTok, is a drag performer who claims to have first developed an interest in cross-dressing at age 16. Since joining the Navy in 2018, he has been filmed doing drag routines in uniform and sometimes for service officers. He participated in the digital influencer program from October 2022 to March 2023.
A spokesman for the U.S. Navy told FOX News Digital that the program was “designed to explore the digital environment to reach a wide range of potential candidates,” adding that the Navy is currently facing “the most challenging recruiting environment it has faced since the start of the all-volunteer force.”
Indeed, the U.S. armed forces are experiencing a historic recruiting crisis, with the Navy alone expected to undershoot recruiting goals by around 8,000. According to the Ronald Reagan Institute, only 13 percent of Americans aged 18-29 are “highly willing” to join the military.
“The pilot has concluded and we are now evaluating the program and how it will exist in the future,” the spokesman added.
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The U.S. Navy hired this non-binary drag queen as a “digital ambassador” to try to recruit people pic.twitter.com/l3LIEtndVD
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 2, 2023
Immediately following the revelation that the Navy was promoting drag as a recruiting tool, veterans across the U.S. weighed in, expressing outrage over what had happened to the country’s military.
Robert J. O’Neill, a former Navy SEAL who participated in the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound in 2011 and claims to have killed the 9/11 mastermind, said that he was “done” after hearing the news.
“Alright. The U.S. Navy is now using an enlisted sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter. I’m done. China is going to destroy us. YOU GOT THIS NAVY. I can’t believe I fought for this bullshit.”
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Alright. The U.S. Navy is now using an enlisted sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter. I’m done. China is going to destroy us. YOU GOT THIS NAVY. I can’t believe I fought for this bullshit.
— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) May 3, 2023
Jesse Kelly, a radio host and former Marine deployed to Iraq after 9/11, warned that the government is turning the U.S. Military into something that will “attack American citizens without question.”
“REMINDER: They’re not ‘destroying’ the military. They’re building one. For a different purpose,” Kelly wrote before adding a follow-up Tweet,
“They’re making the American military into something that will attack American citizens without question. Western governments have decided their own citizens are the world’s biggest problem. It’s a problem they intend to fix.”
They’re making the American military into something that will attack American citizens without question. Western governments have decided their own citizens are the world’s biggest problem. It’s a problem they intend to fix. https://t.co/mN7OlOQQHd
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) May 2, 2023
Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson, a former U.S. Navy Rear Admiral who served in the Iraq War, called the Navy’s social media campaign “SICK SICK SICK” and questioned the effectiveness of the recruiting strategy.
“WHY IS THE MILITARY USING A DRAG QUEEN TO RECRUIT?? Who on EARTH would be persuaded to join after watching this!? Biden’s SICK SICK SICK woke agenda for our military needs to END NOW!!” – Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX)
Before deleting his Instagram account, drag sailor Joshua Kelley told his audience that being a digital ambassador had been a “blessing” and championed the “representation of queer sailors.”
“From joining to 2016 and being able to share my drag experience on my off time with my fellow sailors has been a blessing… This experience has brought me so much strength, courage and ambition to continue being an advocate and representation of queer sailors! Thank you to the Navy for giving me this opportunity! I don’t speak for the Navy but simply sharing my experience in the Navy!”
“Hooyah, and let’s go, Slay!” he added.
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