Robert J. O'Neill, the retired Navy SEAL who killed former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, told Newsmax that "we need pipe hitters, not pole dancers" in the military.
"Pipe hitters" is military slang for Special Ops forces such as the SEALs.
Joining "Eric Bolling The Balance" on Monday, O'Neill discussed a recent Twitter post where he called out U.S. Navy Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley for performing as drag queen "Harpy Daniels" on social media and events.
Kelley has also been supported by the branch in his endeavors, enlisted as one of five official digital ambassadors from autumn 2022 until March 2023.
"We just need the best of the best. That's equal opportunity to get in the military. But once you get there, you don't need to be expressing yourself," O'Neill contended. "You join the military — whatever branch — they put you in uniform, including your haircut, and then you're part of a team."
"You don't need to go in there and try to show off, especially like this," he continued, "because ... forward defense and deterrence ... that's our pillars. And there's no deterrence when we have a drag queen on a Chinese espionage platform. They're laughing at us."
O'Neill, a SEAL Team Six veteran of May 2011's famous Operation Neptune Spear, declared last week, 'I can't believe I fought for this bull---t,' after first hearing of Kelley's TikTok recruiting job.
He later followed up by asking the Navy to speak with someone who has "actually done something! Not yeomen with [expletives]."
"What you do on your own time is fine. But again, you got to be part of a team," he told Bolling on Monday, adding that the military needs to "get rid of this nonsense training, learn how to balance your budget, get rid of all the extra stuff the military is doing."
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