A two-star general’s retirement has reportedly been placed on hold as the military investigates him over his social media conduct.
Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe is under administrative review by the U.S. Army. He previously served as commanding general of the Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, but he has since been reassigned as his review plays out, according to the Army Times.
Donahoe “has been temporarily assigned as a special assistant to the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command pending appropriate Department of the Army administrative reviews,” Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said.
A source familiar told the Army Times that Donahoe is under review for his social media conduct. It is not clear if Donahoe would be disciplined, or what discipline might come down should the review process find him guilty of some infraction.
Donahoe is well-known for his presence on Twitter. In 2019, the Military Times ranked him number one on a list of “top service members to follow” on the platform.
“All soldiers are leaders and the good ones stay informed with the broader world events that could determine their future. Brig. Gen. Donahoe is one of the real OGs on twitter giving soldiers a hint on how a top military leader thinks. And if leaders learn from example, you can’t go wrong by following his,” the outlet wrote at the time of his Twitter usage.
Donahoe currently has over 23,000 followers on Twitter. His account has been made private and his tweets are protected against public viewing.
Donahoe kicked off a series of media stories and criticism against him after he used his personal Twitter account to mock a retired Marine who publicly disagreed with Donahoe’s views on the COVID-19 vaccine.
In July 2021, Donahoe said he would make the vaccine mandatory if he had the authority, citing a surge in ICU visits by young soldiers. Former Marine Josiah Lippincott responded to Donahoe, pointing out that the military had lost a total of 26 servicemembers to COVID-19 out of 2 million. After some back-and-forth, Donahoe responded by tagging Lippincott’s alma mater, Hillsdale College, and telling it to “come get your boy.”
— Ducky ¯_(ツ)_/¯ (@thatjerkme) September 19, 2022
That incident is reportedly not the subject of the ongoing review, though it is unclear what the review is focusing on specifically. Donahoe has been involved in several social media-related controversies in recent months, including criticizing Fox News host Tucker Carlson after he accusing President Joe Biden of “feminizing” the military, the Army Times reported.