Trump Pentagon Nominee Attempts to Backtrack on Calls to Politicize Military
Anthony Tata, whose nomination failed in 2020 after bipartisan concerns, refuses to explain his calls to only pick military leaders loyal to Trump, instead claiming he “was a private citizen when [he] posted that”
Washington, D.C. — At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Personnel, pressed Mr. Anthony Tata, nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, to explain his support for politicizing the military.
In 2020, Tata was nominated for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the third-highest-ranking DoD official. His nomination fell apart after reports revealed he had made several bigoted and false remarks and the Army watchdog found he violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice by committing adultery. Senator Warren led the call then and has again called for him to withdraw his nomination and explain his past attacks on military leaders and calls to politicize the military.
Tata has also called for purging the military of its senior leaders, and recently argued the Trump Administration should “review every 4 star appointed by Biden and thank many for their service before firing them.” When asked what evaluations he did to determine these generals needed to be fired, Mr. Tata had no explanation, and instead tried to backtrack and say “I don’t want to fire anybody.”
Senator Warren also asked Tata to explain his calls to screen military leaders for their loyalty to President Trump. Tata attempted to deflect and avoid accountability, claiming he “was a private citizen when [he] posted that,” despite still being a private citizen today.
Before President Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, Tata said planners should assume the National Guard and DoD were “compromised at a minimum by hatred of the incoming administration.” When asked for the basis for that statement, Tata admitted he “had no information.”
“[C]ompetence is based on the experience and performance of a military leader…You seem to think that if a general or admiral was promoted again during a Democratic administration, that person should automatically be fired. That’s just a political purge—and a pretty standard move in a dictatorship. I think it disqualified you for this office,” concluded Senator Warren.
Ahead of his hearing, Senator Warren led six senators, including Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), both members of the Armed Services Committee, in calling for Tata to explain his past attacks on military leaders and calls to politicize the military.
Transcript: Hearing to Consider the Nomination of Mr. Anthony J. Tata to be Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Senate Armed Services Committee
May 6, 2025
Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Our military is strong because each member pledges loyalty to the Constitution, not to a specific president or a political party. And in return, military service and promotion are not tied to a political party or personal loyalty.
President Trump threatens that political neutrality. With no explanation, has fired the Chairman of the Joint of Staff and Chief of Naval Operations. Secretary Hegseth has purged top military lawyers and called for removing “woke” generals. Former Defense Secretaries have called it a new “political standard” for military service.
So, Mr. Tata, if confirmed, you would be the Defense Secretary’s principal advisor on personnel matters. You have already made your views clear.
In November 2024, you posted on X that a “must do” for the Trump administration will be to, “Review every 4 star appointed by Biden and thank many for their service before firing them.” Mr. Tata, what evaluations did you do of each of the dozens of four-star generals and admirals to convince you that each of them needed to be fired?
Mr. Anthony J. Tata, nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness: Senator, that comment was in response to a CNN article that had credible sources that several admirals and generals were having discussions on how to resist lawful orders from the President, usurping his Article II constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief, which I find unacceptable.
I think we can all agree that the Constitution of the United States that we swear an oath of office to, that I have done for many times in my career, is the ultimate, penultimate document that we support and that we swear an allegiance to. And so, if there were people who were having those conversations—
Senator Warren: Mr. Tata, I have your tweet here. And your tweet doesn’t say “I want to investigate person by person, and see what they’ve done.” I also want to make clear that when generals are having conversations about what to do if they receive illegal orders so that they can still follow their obligations under the Constitution of the United States, then they are following the law. They are not breaking the law.
But, let's go on to what else you said.
Mr. Tata: Senator, if I might, the article said ‘controversial’. It did not say ‘illegal.’ And so, controversial is very subject to interpretation.
Senator Warren: So you want—I just want to clarify here. You want to fire everybody—I’ve got your tweet here—because you think they gave controversial statements?
Mr. Tata: I don’t want to fire anybody, Senator.
Senator Warren: I’m sorry, it says “before firing them.” Mr. Chairman, could I enter this into the record, please? Mr. Tata’s tweet.
Chairman Wicker: Is there objections? There being no objection, it is so admitted.
Senator Warren: Let me try another one. In November 2024, you posted on X that the Trump administration should choose only leaders who are, “[a]ll oars in the water to achieve Trump agenda 47.”
That suggests you believe that generals should be picked for loyalty to Donald Trump. Is that right? Is that what you believe?
Mr. Tata: That is not what I believe, Senator.
Senator Warren: Then why did you post this?
Mr. Tata: Well, I was a private citizen when I posted that and the—
Senator Warren: So when you were a private citizen, you said things you didn’t believe?
Mr. Tata: Agenda 47—
Senator Warren: You still are a private citizen right now, Mr. Tata.
Chair Wicker: Senator, let him answer the question.
Mr. Tata: Senator, I am respectfully trying to answer your question. Agenda 47 talks about shipbuilding, it talks about reducing the wars that we engage in. And so, as a leader, I support the idea and the president's vision that he had in agenda 47 from a foreign policy perspective. And that’s what I was referring to.
Senator Warren: That is not what this tweet says. Mr. Chairman, may I enter this tweet into the record?
Chairman Wicker: Without objection.
Senator Warren: In January 2025, just 4 months ago, Mr. Tata, you posted on X that planning for President Trump’s inauguration should—your word—“assume” that the National Guard and DoD are “compromised at a minimum by hatred of the incoming administration.”
What information did you have about each member of the Guard and DoD that caused you not only to draw this conclusion but to put it out there in public?
Mr. Tata: Senator, I had no information—
Senator Warren: So you just said it about our Guard? You know, competence is based on the experience and performance of a military leader. Evidently you have no information individually about the generals, admirals, and the members of our National Guard and DoD who serve this country. And yet, you’re willing to say that they all need to be fired or treated as traitors.
You seem to think that if a general or admiral was promoted again during a Democratic administration, that person should automatically be fired. That’s just a political purge—and a pretty standard move in a dictatorship. I think it disqualified you for this office.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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