'You really want to do this?' Ex-commander of US forces in Europe challenges Matt Gaetz for smirking at military chief

Mark Hertling, the commander of US forces in Europe and who oversaw the 2007-2008 "surge" in Iraq, challenged Congress Matt Gaetz after he derided a top US general for suggesting that teaching the history of racial injustice in the country was important for the military.

On Wednesday, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff Mark Milley and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin – the nation’s first Black man to hold the position – were questioned in a congressional hearing by Mr Gaetz about the teaching of "critical race theory" in the US military.

"Critical race theory", a broad term that describes how racism is embedded in the institutions that formed and continue to shape the US, is the latest moral panic among conservatives, resulting in parent groups – largely backed by wealthy conservative groups – demanding local school boards stop teaching about racial inequality rooted in the nation's founding.

Mr Austin rejected Mr Gaetz's premise.

"We do not teach critical race theory. We don't embrace critical race theory, and I think that's a spurious conversation," he said. "We are focused on extremist behaviours and not ideology – not people's thoughts, not people's political orientation. Behaviours is what we're focused on."

During the hearing, Mr Milley defended the inclusion of teaching military members about the country's history of racism.

"I've read Mao Zedong. I've read Karl Marx. I've read Lenin. That doesn't make me a communist. So what is wrong with understanding – having some situational understanding about the country for which we are here to defend?" he responded.

He went on to say "I personally find it offensive" that Mr Gaetz and others of his mindset were "accusing the United States military, our general officers, our commissioned, noncommissioned officers of being, quote, 'woke' or something else, because we're studying some theories that are out there."

Mr Gaetz could be seen shaking his head and smirking as the general answered. Later, Mr Gaetz retweeted a video of the exchange, and derided the military.

"With Generals like this it's no wonder we've fought considerably more wars than we've won," Mr Gaetz wrote.

Mr Hertling took exception to Mr Gaetz's comments.

"Hey @mattgaetz, see those stripes on Gen Milley's right sleeve? Each one represents 6 months in combat. SecDef Austin has more, but they aren't on his suit. You really want to do this?" he asked.

Another veteran, former Congressman Denver Riggleman, took a shot at Mr Gaetz for his comment by referring to the ongoing investigation into whether or not the lawmaker had a sexual relationship with a minor.

"Each stripe on Matt Gaetz's shirts represents 6 Venmo transactions," he wrote.

Mr Gaetz tweeted that "many of our troops loathe" critical race theory and said he would "fight for them against this wokeness”, without citing any formal complaints from soldiers or any specific military members.

During the hearing, Mr Milley also attributed "white rage" as the cause of the Capitol riot, saying he hoped to better understand where that fury was coming from and that teaching about race in the military was a way of examining those forces.

"I want to understand white rage, and I'm white, and I want to understand it," he said. "So what is it that caused thousands of people to assault this building and try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America? What cause that? I want to find that out."