Former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Steven Rogers said on Thursday that an order by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for the military to stand down to address “extremism” is unprecedented, unnecessary, and a dangerous road that leads to “communist China.”
“This to me, dangerous, it looks like a political litmus test, and it’s a road that you would only find in communist China or in the former Soviet Union,” former Lieutenant Commander Rogers told NTD.
Austin ordered a DOD-wide stand down to address extremism in the ranks on Wednesday.
Rogers said that the United States military has been a role model in addressing discrimination, extremism, radicalism, which has made the U.S. military the greatest on the earth.
He expressed concern about whether conservatives would be singled out.
“I believe it’s the Defence Secretary under the Biden administration. Are they now going to purge conservatives? Are military members who have conservative views and values—are they the ones that are going to be targeted?” Rogers asked.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby noted on Wednesday that some of the extremists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 were active duty service members and others were military veterans.
Austin said during the meeting with military leaders that while the number of extremists may be small, “No matter what it is, it is … not an insignificant problem and has to be addressed.”
Rogers noted that communist China has infiltrated U.S. colleges, schools, corporations, and the political system.
“Now my concern is that they are gripping … an agenda that is leading them into the ranks of our U.S. military. Now, that’s not to say that our military members are being influenced by the Chinese Communist Party, but the politicians who oversee our military are being influenced,” Rogers said.
