Pentagon leaders have been pulled from attending the yearly Aspen Security Forum, mere hours before it was supposed to begin, according to Just the News.
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement on Monday that:
Senior Department of Defense officials will no longer be participating at the Aspen Security Forum because their values do not align with the values of the DoD. The Department will remain strong in its focus to increase the lethality of our warfighters, revitalize the warrior ethos, and project Peace Through Strength on the world stage. It is clear the ASF is not in alignment with these goals.
The forum put on by the Aspen Institute is notorious for its reputation as a mountain retreat for wealthy liberal elites. The Institute supports the idea of critical race theory, hosting speakers such as Ibram X Kendi, the author of the book "How to Be an Antiracist," which launched him to national fame in 2019. They also say they fight for "equity" or the equalizing of outcomes as well to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
In a statement obtained by Just the News, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said:
The Department of Defense has no interest in legitimizing an organization that has invited former officials who have been the architects of chaos abroad and failure at home. They are antithetical to the America First values of this administration. Senior representatives of the Department of Defense will no longer be participating in an event that promotes the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country, and hatred for the President of the United States.
The list of officials no longer attending includes: Secretary of the Navy John Phelan; Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; General Bryan Fenton of U.S. Special Operations Command; General Stephen Whiting of U.S. Space Command; and General Randall Reed of U.S. Transportation Command.
Military leaders from previous administrations will be speaking, including former President Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Sullivan was a key member of the Biden administration during the United States' disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, and he claimed that the Middle East was far quieter than it had ever been, a week before Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th of 2023.