Senate confirms Lohmeier as Air Force No. 2 civilian

WASHINGTON — The US Senate today confirmed Matthew Lohmeier as the Department of the Air Force’s newest under secretary, filling a vacancy left open since January and rounding out the top two civilian posts that oversee the Air Force and Space Force.

Likely owing to his controversial past, Lohmeier ultimately cleared the confirmation process by a close, party line vote of 52-46. Upon his swearing in he will relieve Edwin Oshiba, who has been performing the duties of the Air Force under secretary since February, according to Oshiba’s DoD biography. 

A former Space Force lieutenant colonel removed from his post in 2021 over comments he made on a podcast alleging the spread of Marxism in the military, Lohmeier was tapped by President Donald Trump for the Air Force job in January. When Trump announced Lohmeier’s nomination, the president said he would “end” the military’s “‘woke’ policies” amid an administration-wide push to root out any vestiges of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 

While Republican senators were mostly supportive of Lohmeier during his confirmation hearing in May, Democrats were cool to his nomination, with many taking issue with divisive political posts he made on social media.

Asked throughout the hearing to respond to previous posts, Lohmeier largely deflected based on the “context” of statements in question. For example, in response to questions from Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine, who pointed to a post from Lohmeier calling the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol a “government-led false flag and hoax,” Lohmeier demurred on the context and said he didn’t recall writing it.

“I always do try and speak honestly,” Lohmeier said during the questioning, adding that he “reserve[s] the right to be wrong about any of my views.”

Now confirmed, Lohmeier will serve under Troy Meink, a former NRO official who was confirmed as the Air Force secretary in May. The two will now be tasked with helming a range of modernization initiatives for the Air Force and Space Force, potentially including a sweeping plan initiated under the Biden administration to “reoptimize” the two services for competition with China. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth halted the reoptimization drive in February, reasoning that the effort should not continue until Meink and Lohmeier were both confirmed and had an opportunity to review it.

The confirmation of Lohmeier could call into question the fate of Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of US Space Command who previously removed Lohmeier from his post in the Space Force. Ahead of the confirmation vote today, Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, took to the Senate floor denouncing Lohmeier’s nomination, warning that his tenure could consist of a “revenge tour.”

During his May confirmation hearing, Lohmeier told lawmakers he did not have a “vindictive spirit” and was “not interested in retribution.”

“I don’t believe witch hunts are healthy in the military,” he later added.

But he also declined to recuse himself from personnel decisions involving officials who played a role in his previous ouster.

Reed said Wednesday that refusal “significantly increases my concerns that he will be out to purge, to seek revenge … to work his own personal animosities out against those he distrusts.”

Valerie Insinna contributed reporting.