The troops who cheered Donald Trump and booed his political opponents during the president’s campaign style rally at Fort Bragg on Tuesday were chosen to attend the event because they align with Trump politically and would look good on camera.
According to Military.com, the almost exclusively male audience visible on camera behind Trump was handpicked based on political leanings and physical appearance.
Communications reviewed by the outlet showed the lengthy process Trump administration officials went through to screen the audience, including one message that bluntly stated “no fat soldiers.”
“If soldiers have political views that are in opposition to the current administration and they don’t want to be in the audience then they need to speak with their leadership and get swapped out,” another note to troops said.
The audience, wearing military fatigues, and their families booed and jeered Trump’s political rivals and the press at the president’s prompting during his speech.
“This has been a bad week for the Army for anyone who cares about us being a neutral institution,” one commander at Fort Bragg told Military.com on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation. “This was shameful. I don’t expect anything to come out of it, but I hope maybe we can learn from it long term.”
Meanwhile political leadership at the Defense Department is doubling down.
“Believe me, no one needs to be encouraged to boo the media,” Sean Parnell, a top Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement. “Look no further than this query, which is nothing more than a disgraceful attempt to ruin the lives of young soldiers.”
