The Department of Defense is torpedoing the career plans of a Navy admiral who was caught facilitating drag shows on the USS Ronald Reagan.
The department confirmed it is withdrawing the nomination of Rear Adm. Michael “Buzz” Donnelly over the drag performances on the vessel while under his command.
The Daily Wire reported that Donnelly was commander of the aircraft carrier from April 2016 to September 2018.
During that time, the report said, “Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley performed as a drag queen under the name ‘Harpy Daniels’ at a department-sanctioned ‘Morale, Welfare, and Recreation’ event.”
When President Donald Trump nominated Donnelly for promotion to vice-admiral and an appointment to command the 7th Fleet, the Daily Wire inquired about the drag shows.
The report said the result is that “a source at the Defense Department said that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is withdrawing Donnelly’s nomination to lead the 7th Fleet. Hegseth is looking for a new 7th Fleet commander, the source shared.”
The Daily Wire noted Donnelly drew national attention in 2023 when Sen. Tommy Tuberville held up his promotion as part of his blockade on Defense Department promotions. The Alabama Republican was challenging one part of Joe Biden’s agenda to promote abortion and transgenderism.
In this fight, Tuberville opposed Biden’s demand that taxpayers pay for three weeks of leave and travel expenses for military members and their dependents who demanded abortions.
The senator pointed out that the spending was completely unrelated to the department’s mission of protecting the nation.
A number of legacy media outlets had highlighted the drag shows that occurred during Donnelly’s tour, the report said.
Back at the time the performances were being scheduled, William Thibeau of The American Military Project at The Claremont Institute, told the Daily Signal, “Every military officer takes command of units large and small with the understanding they are responsible for everything that does and does not happen under their command. It’s the basic truth of military leadership, whether you command an infantry company or an aircraft carrier.”
He noted the drag shows are not “random acts of entertainment,” they were “sanctioned Navy programs.”
Donnelly’s immediate future was unspecified in the report, but often when military commanders fail in one command, their next one is not considered a promotion.