Joe Biden is obsessed with “firsts” — especially when it comes to naming minorities to positions in his administration. Biden has prioritized “diversity” over almost everything else, including merit, experience, and judging by some of his choices, intelligence (we’re looking at you, Mayor Pete).
So it was no surprise when Biden announced that the new chief of naval operations would be Adm. Lisa Franchetti — the first woman to lead the Navy and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The backstory to Franchetti’s nomination, as told by Politico, is that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had two slates of nominees for Biden to examine, including two choices for the top job and other nominations for open posts. One slate that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pushed had Adm. Samuel Paparo, who leads the U.S. Pacific Fleet, named as chief of naval operations. Paparo had several years on the front lines facing down China in the South China Sea.
The other slate had Franchetti ascending to the top spot from her post as Vice Chief of Naval Operations — a post she’s held for less than a year. So Biden chooses a rookie to match wits with the Chinese military. Paparo will now head up the Indo-Pacific Command.
Austin, the good soldier, took the snub quietly and without apparent malice.
The president doesn’t normally hand-pick the Navy’s top officer, so Biden’s decision to tap Franchetti for the job could be seen as a rebuke of Austin. But the move has not caused tension in the relationship, Sullivan said on the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum.
“The president had the chance to sit with the secretary of Defense, and they worked this slate together, and this is the slate, and that’s a good thing,” he said.
Asked if there was any daylight between Biden and Austin, Sullivan said, “I don’t believe there is.” Both men ended the discussion “feeling very good about where we are,” he said.
“As our next chief of naval operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti will bring 38 years of dedicated service to our nation as a commissioned officer, including in her current role of vice chief of naval operations,” Biden said in his statement. “Throughout her career, Admiral Franchetti has demonstrated extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas.”
What do you suppose the Russians and Chinese think about all this “diversity”? I guess if/when we go to war with either of them, we’ll find out.
But the unintended irony of Biden in criticizing Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) for holding up Pentagon nominations over the military’s policy on abortion is laughable.
“What Senator Tuberville is doing is not only wrong — it is dangerous,” said Biden. “In this moment of rapidly evolving security environments and intense competition, he is risking our ability to ensure that the United States Armed Forces remain the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. And his Republican colleagues in the Senate know it.”
By overriding the recommendation of his defense chief and putting in a less experienced female for the top job in the Navy, who is “risking our ability to ensure that the United States Armed Forces remain the greatest fighting force in the history of the world?”
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Adm. Franchetti’s new position as Secretary of the Navy. We apologize to our readers for this error.
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