President Donald Trump on Monday named a raft of shut allies, together with conservative firebrands and controversial figures from his first administration, to boards overseeing among the nation’s prime navy academies.
The appointments got here after Trump final month purged the boards of holiday makers on the Naval, Military, Air Power and Coast Guard academies as a part of his wider push to radically overhaul the navy, which he has beforehand decried as too “woke.”
In a submit on his social media platform Fact Social Monday, Trump mentioned he had appointed former nationwide safety adviser Michael Flynn to the US Army Academy’s board of holiday makers, together with Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas); Maureen Bannon, a West Level alum and daughter of MAGA firebrand Steve Bannon; Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia; and retired main basic Dan Walrath.
Flynn, a retired lieutenant basic, served briefly as Trump’s nationwide safety adviser in the course of the president’s first time period earlier than he resigned in 2017 after studies surfaced that he obfuscated his discussions with Russian officers to then-Vice President Mike Pence. He pleaded responsible to creating false statements to the FBI relating to his contacts with Russia’s ambassador, although Trump later pardoned him.
“They may make our Nation proud,” Trump wrote. “Congratulations to all!”
The president additionally named Alabama GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville, founding father of conservative community Turning Level USA Charlie Kirk and former deputy nationwide safety adviser Dina Powell, amongst others, to the Air Power’s board of holiday makers.
Trump confirmed Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy; former White Home Press Secretary Sean Spicer; former White Home doctor Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas); and the president’s physique man Walt Nauta, who was federally indicted alongside the president within the labeled paperwork case, will sit on the Naval Academy’s board of holiday makers.
Spicer has served on the Naval Academy’s board earlier than however was dismissed by the Biden administration in 2021 and misplaced a lawsuit difficult the choice. The costs in opposition to Nauta have been dropped after Trump started his second time period.
The boards are successfully advisory panels and can weigh in on curriculum, educating, funds and different issues, with members nominated by Congress and the president.
Trump’s appointments match a long-established sample of rewarding loyalists, and are available amid his and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth’s bid to reform the navy, together with by issuing govt orders banning transgender service members and eliminating range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) applications.
