The Bulwark Podcast
Rep. Mikie Sherrill: Who Will Be In Charge of Our National Security?
Wed, 04 Dec 2024
We're going back to a president who can't be bothered to read his briefing books. So who will be getting in the ear of the man who had the judgment to choose Pete Hegseth in the first place? Plus, blue state governors v Trump, the need for more mid-range housing, the role of women in modern combat, and Tim reads more from the mailbag. New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill joins Tim Miller.
Who is Mikie Sherrill and what is her background?
I mean, we've had, you know, from my class, the first female commanding officer of an aircraft carrier. We now have the first female superintendent, the first female chief of naval operations. And all of that tracks back to when I graduated from the academy 30 years ago, and the combat restrictions on ships and aircraft were lifted.
Because you can't fully participate in the military as somebody who's going to be competitive if you don't go into combat, if you don't go on a combatant ship, if you don't go into combat aircraft, if you aren't on the ground in combat. And by the way, this idea that somehow... combat is like trench warfare and here's the combat line for the men and the women are back there as the nurses.
I mean, that is so antiquated. The way we fight today is so different from that. And combat is sort of these combatant roles are enmeshed in so many different ways in so many different positions. So, you know, we go from when I was at the Naval Academy to the chief of naval operations, who was a submariner.
When someone stood up at a brigade meeting and stood up and said, when are you going to let women on submarines? And he derisively said, not in my lifetime, to a standing ovation to actually the USS New Jersey being the first fast attack purpose-built sub to have women on board. You know, that felt to me like, wow, such a momentous thing. And yes, I am very proud it's named the USS New Jersey.
So that's such movement and progress. And when you see everything, you know, I was speaking to somebody who was telling me at the Naval Academy, some of the women there are so physically fit and in such great shape and such leaders that some of the men there say, oh, I'm going to go work out with her because she's going to help me get in shape. Like, I want to be in sick shape. So she's a beast.
I'm going to go do that kind of thing. And so, you know, we're seeing such great leadership, such great opportunities, such such exciting stuff going on in our force. And that is how we have a ready force.
And to see somebody who just sees women in the role of, as I guess he said at one of his jobs, which he was, of course, let go from party girls or not party girls who, you know, has a credible assault allegations who had to be carried out of a group team meeting, uh,
And by the way, the group team meeting at I think his in his leadership was taking place at a strip club because of his intoxication. You know, you're just looking at somebody. Why? Why? Like, it just feels like such a really an F you to women. It's like I am putting this particular person up for this role because I just want it. I just want to show how little I respect the service of women.
I just want it to be clear to everyone that I totally feel this disregard for women. That's what it feels like. It feels like a gut punch.
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