Cotton presses defense secretary on 'anti-American indoctrination' as Austin defends diversity push

Sen. Tom Cotton told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin his office has received "hundreds" of whistleblower complaints about the military’s new diversity and inclusion training, which he says amounts to "anti-American indoctrination." 

Cotton said he’d seen reports of "plummeting morale, growing mistrust between races and sexes where none existed just six months ago and unexpected retirements and separations based on these trainings alone."  He said one Marine officer had said that military history training was replaced with training on police brutality, White privilege and systemic racism. Another claimed his unit was required to read "White Fragility" by Robin DiAngelo, which claims White people in the West have internalized White supremacy. Austin said the military was seeking to be "welcoming to everyone who can qualify and who is fit to serve."