Army Suspends General for Apparently Mocking First Lady Jill Biden on Twitter
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Ted S. Warren/AP Photo
On Friday, the U.S. Army suspended retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky, 60, from his mentorship role after he replied to Dr. Jill Biden's tweet in a seemingly mocking tone.
Volesky replied to the first lady's June 24 tweet, which expressed her disappointment in the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Biden wrote, "For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies. Today, that right was stolen from us. And while we may be devastated by this injustice, we will not be silent. We will not sit back as the progress we have already won slips away."
Volesky's reply, which has since been deleted, reportedly said, "Glad to see you finally know what a woman is," according to USA Today, which confirmed his suspension with an Army spokesperson.
RELATED: President Joe Biden Calls Supreme Court's Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade 'a Tragic Error'
For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies.
Today, that right was stolen from us.
And while we may be devastated by this injustice, we will not be silent. We will not sit back as the progress we have already won slips away.— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) June 24, 2022
The comment shares similarities to Sen. Marsha Blackburn's questioning of Justice Ketanji Brown Jacksona> about the definition of the word "woman" during Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearing in relation to transgender rights.
RELATED: Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Eliminating the Constitutional Right to Abortion
Volensky served in the Gulf War, the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan and was awarded the Silver Star, the third-highest military combat honor, for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" while commanding a battalion in Iraq. He headed the Army's Public Affairs division from 2012 to 2014 and retired from service in 2020.
Most recently, he signed a $92-an-hour contract with the Army to work as a senior mentor advising on war strategy. Since Friday, he has been suspended from this role while he is under investigation.
RELATED: Rep. Liz Cheney Says She's 'Honored' to Be Named to Jan. 6 Commission amid Republican Backlash
Volesky has tweeted political commentary before, having replied to Rep. Liz Cheney's tweet expressing her honor to serve on the January 6 select committee back in 2021. She ended her tweet by saying, "Our oath to the Constitution must be above partisan politics."
To which Volesky replied, "This is all about partisan politics," according to USA Today.
