Pentagon contractor flags phrase 'truth about BLM' as possible extremist identifier
Former Air Force Commander Matthew Lohmeier reacts to Pentagon investigation 'extremism' on 'Fox News Primetime'
U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, joined "Fox News Primetime", speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the DoD, and expressed concern Monday over the deeply partisan undertones of the Pentagon's new endeavor to scour servicemembers' internet search histories to root out purported "extremism" and "White supremacy."
The Pentagon has reportedly had informal meetings with a Great Britain-based extremism analysis company that considers the web search "the truth about Black Lives Matter" and others to be signs of interest in or engagement with White supremacism.
According to Defense One, the contractor Moonshot CVE, which has ties to the Obama Foundation, is working on data that would identify which military bases and branches have the most troops searching for domestic extremist content.
In a comment made to Fox News, Press Secretary for United States Department of Defense John Kirby said, "The Department of Defense Countering Extremism Working Group has not secured the services of Moonshot CVE to assist them in their efforts to help better understand the scope and scale of extremism in the ranks. Further, their work is focused on extremist behavior and conduct, not ideology."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Lohmeier remarked the aforementioned search term doesn't seem to appear nefarious, especially given the fact Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III ordered a Down Day to discuss extremism in the ranks earlier this year.
"Very little surprises me anymore, as I continue to consider just how focused it seems that the Defense Department is on routing out White extremism and White supremacy in the services right now," he said. "I'm not sure exactly how it is that you are able to tell from search terms that much about the individuals that are serving in uniform."
"In fact, one of the thoughts I had just this morning is that if you would like to call for a Down Day across all of your military services and ask for us to discuss White supremacy for example, you are going to have many, many Internet hits searching for that very topic trying to understand the issue before you show up and have the conversation. I did that very thing," he added.
Lohmeier noted that Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Khan Cullors has expressed interest in dismantling the nuclear family and that her group opposes Judeo-Christian values.
"They are interested in revolutionizing us as a country socially and politically," he said of the group, which other critics have described as a Marxist organization.
OUSTED SPACE FORCE OFFICER SAYS HE'S BEEN ‘MISPORTRAYED’, RECEIVED 'THOUSANDS' OF NOTES FROM TROOPS
Lohmeier added that there appears to be no focus by the Pentagon on left-wing groups such as BLM, which infamously and public espoused support for the killing of police officers in New York City and elsewhere.
"How about we actually spend our time and resources actually focusing on those few service members who have been exceptionally politically partisan, left-leaning politically partisan in the past year – both publicly supporting Black Lives Matter slogans such as burning cities down and overthrowing the country," Lohmeier said.
"Why don't we go after people who are saying in their social media posts: ‘F--- the police’ and ‘all cops are bastards’. Those are exceptionally politicized statements that we seem to not be interested in discovering. I'm not sure why that is."
Lohmeier went on to allude to his own writings on that topic in his recent book, "Irresistible Revolution: Marxism's Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military," telling host Brian Kilmeade that several pages therein name specific examples of those statements being uttered.
"I've not been asked once to point out who any of those individuals are. There is a particular type of extremist that we seem to be focused on," he said.
Fox News' Samuel Dorman contributed to this report.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.