'Trying to score political points': White House slams Gaetz critical race theory clash with top general
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The White House is standing by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after the pair clashed with Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz over critical race theory.
America is a great country that needs to come to terms with "some dark chapters in our history," according to White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.
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"Slavery is a part of this nation's history. So was the brave work of black and white Americans in putting an end to it," she told reporters Thursday on Air Force One en route to an event in North Carolina.
In the context of schools, Jean-Pierre said children should "learn all of our history," adding the White House trusted teachers to present "the facts and the truth" to students.
"We don't think politicians trying to score political points by banning parts of our history in our classrooms is a good thing," she added.
Milley, in particular, fired back at Gaetz this week during a House Armed Services Committee hearing after the embattled lawmaker pressed the pair on leadership-led discussions, or "stand downs," about extremism following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol Building by a pro-Donald Trump mob. The congressman also asked them how the Pentagon should "think about critical race theory."
"I personally find it offensive that we are accusing the United States military, our general officers, our commissioned, noncommissioned officers of being, quote, 'woke' or something else, because we're studying some theories that are out there," Milley told Gaetz on Wednesday.
Austin, the first black defense secretary, called out Gaetz's question for triggering "a spurious conversation" because the military neither taught nor embraced critical race theory.
"We are focused on extremist behaviors and not ideology — not people's thoughts, not people's political orientation," he said, referring to positive feedback he had received regarding the sessions.
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Federal prosecutors are investigating whether Gaetz and Joel Greenberg, a former associate, paid or offered gifts to underage girls in exchange for sex. Gaetz has denied any criminal wrongdoing and claims the allegations stem from a separate FBI inquiry.
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Tags: News, Biden, Joe Biden, White House, Biden Administration
Original Author: Naomi Lim
Original Location: 'Trying to score political points': White House slams Gaetz critical race theory clash with top general
