Army General Suspended After Jill Biden Tweet

Retired 3-star general reportedly responded to first lady's post about Roe v. Wade
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 10, 2022 5:30 AM CDT
After Tweet Mocks Jill Biden, a General Is Suspended
President Biden listens as first lady Jill Biden speaks during a Fourth of July celebration for military families on the South Lawn of the White House.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

A retired three-star Army general has been suspended from his duties as an adviser to active-duty officers after he reportedly dissed first lady Jill Biden online. Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky was serving as an HQE-SM—a highly qualified expert-senior mentor—when he was suspended, per the AP. Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith did not give a reason for the suspension, and no other details were provided. However, USA Today reported that a Twitter account under Volesky's name carried a mocking reply to a statement by the first lady following the Supreme Court's decision last month overturning Roe v. Wade.

  • Biden: "For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies," the first lady wrote at the time. "Today, that right was stolen from us."
  • General: "Glad to see you finally know what a woman is," read a tweet in response under Volesky's name.
The tweet was later deleted, and an Army inquiry is underway. USA Today describes the tweet as an unusual breach of decorum for a general—while Volesky is retired, he was being paid more than $90 an hour by the Pentagon for his advisory duties. (More Jill Biden stories.)

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