Sen. Tammy Duckworth rebukes Tucker Carlson’s comments on women in military, mocks his dancing skills

Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth joined with top Pentagon and senior military officials Thursday in sharply condemning Fox News pundit Tucker Carlson, who decried efforts to accommodate women in the military while “China’s military becomes more masculine.”

Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran combat veteran who lost her legs after her helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, took to her campaign’s Twitter page to declare: “F--- Tucker Carlson.”

“While he was practicing his two-step, America’s female warriors were hunting down Al Qaeda and proving the strength of America’s women,” tweeted Duckworth, who two days earlier used the same forum to announce her 2022 reelection bid.

“Happy belated International Women’s Day to everyone but Tucker, who even I can dance better than.”

Duckworth’s reference to dancing was a jab at Carlson, Fox News’ most-watched commentary host, over his showing as a 2006 contestant on “Dancing With the Stars.” He was booted from the show after his first appearance.

The Illinois junior senator added a tweet saying, “...and we all know it was his female partner who did all the hard work” on the dance competition show, referring to professional dancer Elena Grinenko.

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On his show Tuesday night, Carlson railed against President Joe Biden’s comments a day earlier, on International Women’s Day, as he was discussing the promotion of two female generals and efforts to better accommodate women in the military with measures such as maternity flight suits and allowing more hairstyles.

“So we’ve got new hairstyles and maternity flight suits. Pregnant women are going to fight our wars. It’s a mockery of the U.S. military,” Carlson said.

“While China’s military becomes more masculine as it has assembled the world’s largest navy, our military needs to become as Joe Biden says more feminine, whatever feminine means anymore,” he said.

The military changes Carlson criticized were initiated during Republican President Donald Trump’s administration.

Carlson’s comments were met with “revulsion” by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.

Acknowledging a need for the U.S. military to be more inclusive and respectful, especially to women, Kirby said, “What we absolutely won’t do is take personnel advice from a talk-show host or the Chinese military.”

It’s not the first time that Duckworth and Carlson have clashed.

In July, Carlson labeled Duckworth a “coward,” a “fraud” and a “callous hack” who hated America over comments she made to CNN that she was open to a national discussion over the removal of statues honoring historical figures, including George Washington, who owned slaves.

At the time, Duckworth was on Biden’s list of potential running mates.

As she did Thursday, Duckworth chose Twitter to respond to Carlson in July.

“Does (Carlson) want to walk a mile in my legs and then tell me whether or not I love America?” she said on Twitter.

Carlson’s appearance on “Dancing With the Stars” came the same year that Duckworth made her first bid for public office in Illinois after being severely injured two years earlier. It was a losing bid to unseat then-Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton.

She went on to win two terms in the U.S. House starting in 2012, was elected to the Senate in 2016.

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