Controversy is brewing at a North Dakota Air Force base after its leadership issued a warning to service members cautioning against attending a downtown rally featuring a pro-Trump speaker.
The message, shared with personnel via text, advised individuals to exercise caution downtown and highlighted the potential dangers associated with the “Dakota Patriot Rally,” which took place on November 17 at the state fairgrounds in Minot.
The warning specifically noted concerns of confrontational behavior toward military members during the event. Additionally, the message mentioned that the rally would feature a guest speaker, Tyler Bowyer from Turning Point USA, categorized as an “alt-right” organization.
Below is the message shared on the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page:
“Leaders, please exercise caution if downtown this weekend. I’ve included a text from the 5SFS/CCF. Please pass along to your team and ask them to be careful and reach out for any concerns. We just got word of an event going at the fairgrounds downtown, called Dakota Patriot Rally. Its guest speaker is from an alt-right organization called Turning Point Action. Please advise your folks that if they are going to be downtown this weekend, it’s good to be cautious, as the crowds this event may attract could be confrontational to military members. Additionally please remind them that participation with groups such as Turning Point Action could jeopardize their continued service in the US military.”
Turning Point Action, in response, has expressed outrage over the base’s message. A spokesperson for the organization spoke with Fox News and criticized the base leadership for dissuading service members from associating with conservative groups. The spokesperson emphasized that Turning Point Action is a mainstream conservative group and not “alt-right.” They also highlighted Tyler Bowyer’s credentials, noting his role as COO of TPAction and his history as a political organizer.
The spokesperson’s statement called for a congressional hearing and investigation into the matter, arguing that such warnings are unjustified and harm the relationship between the military and conservative organizations.
“How dare they dissuade servicemen and women from affiliating with conservative groups and leaders,” the spokesperson told Fox News. “This should set off alarm bells throughout North Dakota and DC, that something is terribly wrong at the Minot Air Force base. This also warrants an immediate congressional hearing and investigation, and whoever is responsible should be held accountable. It’s exactly this type of poison that has caused the Air Force to miss its recruiting goal for the first time in decades.”
Charlie Kirk, founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, released the following statement:
The DoD has declared WAR on conservatives. Congress should immediately investigate this absurd, unhinged threat.
On the condition of anonymity, I have now heard directly from servicemen at this Air Force base who have confirmed these texts are real.
Their firsthand accounts reveal that while the base is made up mostly of conservatives, all leadership that has been promoted under Joe Biden now skews FAR LEFT.
All white, Christian conservatives are marginalized. DEI and CRT are pumped into everything the commanders at the base do. All promotions and awards are given to those who buy into ideological based trainings.
They also tell me conservatives are leaving the military in droves, recruiting is abysmal and instead of changing directions, the leadership is doubling down.
Joe Biden and the far-left are actively undermining our military readiness and America’s national security.
Kirk added, “So on the same day we find out that the Air Force threatened airmen with expulsion from the military if they participate in an event with Turning Point the Pentagon asks for $114 million to spend on “diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility” in the next year. Defund!!”
Several lawmakers are now threatening to subpoena the US Air Force and demand explanations.
Rep. Matt Gaetz wrote on X, “Whoever thought sending this message out was a good idea is definitely gonna be answering questions under oath in the Armed Services Committee.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna responded to Gaetz’s warning, saying, “[US Air Force] see you in DC!”
.@usairforce see you in DC! https://t.co/orlTL7yUp4
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) November 21, 2023
Rep. Jim Banks is now demanding answers from the US Air Force.
“The Biden DoD has declared war on its political enemies. I am demanding answers from the Air Force about this partisan weaponization of our military!!” Banks wrote.
“Participation with groups such as Turning Point Action could jeopardize their continued service in the US military.”
The Biden DoD has declared war on its political enemies.
I am demanding answers from the Air Force about this partisan weaponization of our military!!…
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) November 21, 2023
Rep. Mark Green wrote, “If true, this is a serious violation of DOD policy. When out of uniform and off-base, our servicemembers have the constitutional right to attend political events.”
Senator Kevin Cramer released the following statement:
“First of all, if somebody disguised as a ‘leader’ at Minot Air Force Base actually put out this hyper partisan left wing political message, they need to rescind it immediately. They need to apologize for it profusely and then they need to encourage the airmen at Minot Air Force Base who are inclined to attend a conservative, traditional American values rally to do exactly that and bring a friend. Then that leader, the so-called leader needs to be removed from their position.
“Unfortunately, these left wing political messages are way too common in our military these days, and that needs to be stopped. We need to get our military focused on what they’re supposed to be doing, and that is their own mission. They all have a collective mission and individual missions. At Minot, they just happen to carry the heavy burden, responsibility, and great honor of having two of the three legs of the nuclear triad. In other words, they are as responsible, if not more responsible than anybody in the world for deterring our enemies: the enemies of freedom, the enemies of America, and the enemies of America’s allies. We need them to get focused on that and get off of the DEI woke nonsense that’s infiltrated our military, and now infiltrated North Dakota. Let’s get to the mission.”
