Guam Democrat Delegate Michael San Nicolas was slammed by critics on Monday for using members from the Guam National Guard in an apparent “political stunt” against a Republican member who didn’t know that Guam was a U.S. territory.
Recent remarks made by QAnon conspiracy theorist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) revealed that she apparently thought that Guam was a foreign country. “I’m a regular, normal person,” Greene said. “And I wanted to take my regular – normal person, normal, everyday American values, which is: We love our country. We believe our hard-earned tax dollars should just go for America – not for what, China, Russia, the Middle East, Guam – whatever, wherever.”
Nicolas visited Greene’s office with the Guam National Guard in a move that was widely panned online as using members of the U.S. Armed Forces for political stunts. Nicolas has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for more than a year as they work to determine if he “misused campaign funds, accepted improper contributions and engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a member of his congressional staff,” Roll Call reported.
Guam Rep. Michael F.Q. San Nicolas and members of the Guam National Guard visited the office of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after she falsely called the U.S. territory a foreign land. pic.twitter.com/3M3L0BkJZ1
— The Hill (@thehill) March 15, 2021
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy responded to the latest act of apparent politicization of the U.S. Armed Forces by writing in a tweet: “. @DeptofDefense is being politicized. Uniformed service members recently criticized a private citizen for his First Amendment rights, & today a Dem lawmaker used soldiers in a political stunt against a GOP member. @SecDef Austin—This sets a dangerous precedent. It must stop now.”
.@DeptofDefense is being politicized. Uniformed service members recently criticized a private citizen for his First Amendment rights, & today a Dem lawmaker used soldiers in a political stunt against a GOP member.@SecDef Austin—This sets a dangerous precedent. It must stop now.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 16, 2021
Even critics of Greene were appalled by the use of the U.S. Armed Forces to make a political statement.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene is a crazy conspiracy theory minded nutjob, but this is a horrible way to deal with her,” one commentator said. Another added, “I sincerely dislike MTG, but this ain’t it.”
Others questioned whether the reason that the National Guard remained stationed in Washington, D.C., was to pull off “political stunts.”
“A week of partisan political displays by uniformed military,” another political commentator added. “More than a little disturbing.”
Last week, the Department of Defense attacked Fox News host Tucker Carlson after Carlson called out controversial remarks that Democrat President Joe Biden made about the U.S. Military. Several members of the U.S. Armed Forces used government resources to attack Carlson on social media, which sparked outrage and a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Cruz wrote that members of the U.S. Armed Forces were forbidden from “engaging in their official capacities in any activities that associate the DOD with any partisan political campaign or elections, candidate, cause, or issue,” according to Department of Defense directives.
“I am deeply troubled that the commitments you made, and the military’s broader obligation to avoid political endorsements and controversy, are being systematically undermined for the sake of leftwing ideology and political expediency,” Cruz wrote. “The last week has witnessed the Pentagon mobilize systematic, public attacks against television host Tucker Carlson that in substance, tone, and political resonance are inexplicably inappropriate.”