The Trump administration has withdrawn a top Navy nomination after learning that the nominee had for at least two years sanctioned drag shows aboard the aircraft carrier he’d been commanding at the time.
Last month, President Donald Trump nominated Rear Adm. Michael “Buzz” Donnelly for a promotion to vice admiral and an appointment as the commander of the 7th Fleet.
President Donald Trump has nominated Rear Adm. Michael “Buzz” Donnelly for promotion to vice admiral and appointment as commander of 7th Fleet — the Navy’s largest overseas force. pic.twitter.com/KP2ER8UEqC
— GENERAL OF THE U.S. ARMY TOM S. GATES ★ (@GENTomSGates83) June 25, 2025
Then on Thursday of this week, the Defense Department confirmed to reporter Mary Margaret Olohan of The Daily Wire that Donnelly’s nomination has since been rescinded.
Why? Because of his past.
Donnelly previously served as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan from April 2016 to September 2018, according to Olohan.
During that time, he sanctioned drag performances by Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, who performed under the alias “Harpy Daniels.”
Watch:
For example, Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley performed as “Harpy Daniels.” His performances drew attention from a number of high profile media outlets, including NBC News.
Their story: “Navy drag queen ‘Harpy Daniels’ is serving looks — and the country”pic.twitter.com/NMn1hxNhqN
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) July 10, 2025
According to William Thibeau, the director of The American Military Project at The Claremont Institute, the buck stopped entirely with Donnelly.
“Every military officer takes command of units large and small with the understanding they are responsible for everything that does and does not happen under their command,” he said in 2023. “It’s the basic truth of military leadership, whether you command an infantry company or an aircraft carrier.”
“The USS Ronald Reagan drag shows of 2017 and 2018 were not random acts of entertainment for sailors, but were sanctioned Navy programs under the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) department of the ship. As commander of the ship, Captain Donnelly would have been ultimately responsible for this program,” he added.
Plus, Thibeau continued, virtually every mainstream media outlet eagerly covered Kelley’s performances, and that this type of press attention “would have been a standard reporting requirement directly to Captain Donnelly at the time.”
Adm Donnelly wasn’t in drag himself, but any military leader will tell you he is responsible for everything that happens under his command.
— William Thibeau (@WilliamThibeau) May 3, 2023
In fact, Kelley proudly touted his drag performances and gay lifestyle to the media during his tour aboard Donnelly’s ship.
“My biggest performances here are the lip-sync competitions we hold to build up morale,” he said in an August 2018 interview with NBC News.
“I have many LGBT friends here, and if you can stand at attention properly and speak with proper etiquette, that’s what it comes down to in the Navy. No one tells me I’m too feminine. I’ve not once had a bad experience as a gay man in the military,” he added.
As for Thibeau, he made his remarks the same year that Sen. Tommy Tuberville initiated a blockade on Defense Department promotions, including a separate, Biden-era one for Donnelly, because of the then-Biden administration’s policies, including allowing paid leave and reimbursement of travel expenses for those in the military seeking abortions, and including the aforementioned drag shows.
“Tuberville argued that the policy was one of many taxpayer-funded Defense Department initiatives unrelated to the agency’s mission of protecting the United States,” Olohan notes. “He called on the former Navy leadership in a May 2023 letter to name the officers responsible for funding and promoting drag queen performances.”
Responding to the news of Donnelly’s promotion being rescinded, critics on social media celebrated:
Good. The less wokeness in our military the better.
— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) July 10, 2025
A stronger military starts with clarity of mission. Dropping the wokeness is a step in the right direction.
— Tan (@realimtan) July 10, 2025
Revolting. With that kind of decision making, he has no business in command @SecDef .. Good job DoD
— Darren Udd (@DarrenUdd) July 11, 2025
They got used to scaling the ladder by embracing far left social ideology. We need warfighters, not drag promoters.
— Someone Important (@justimportant2) July 10, 2025
Any Admiral that would allow drag shows to be conducted by US soldiers is a disgrace!
Donnelly should be:
1.) Busted down in rank.
2.) Removed from position with cause.
3.) Officially reprimanded.This should be done quickly.
— SpicyPatriot (@SpicyPatriot25) July 10, 2025
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Author: Vivek Saxena
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