’I want to understand’: top US general defends studying critical race theory in military

Top Pentagon leaders on Wednesday passionately defended the military’s approach to addressing racism and extremism, pushing back against accusations by Republican lawmakers that the effort is creating division and hurting morale. In an extraordinary response, Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, took direct aim at the accusations by Rep Michael Waltz and similar, separate comments earlier in the hearing by Representative Matt Gaetz, another Florida Republican. Milley said the military need not apologize for fostering open-mindedness. What the moral panic about ‘critical race theory’ is about | Moira Donegan