US President Donald Trump’s choice for US Army secretary on Friday withdrew his nomination in the face of growing criticism over his remarks about Muslims and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans.
Mark Green, a Republican state senator from Tennessee, said in a statement that “false and misleading attacks” against him had turned his nomination into a distraction.
“Tragically, my life of public service and my Christian beliefs have been mischaracterized and attacked by a few on the other side of the aisle for political gain,” Green said, expressing “deep regret” over the decision.
Green is the second Trump nominee for army secretary to withdraw.
The move to step aside comes after a video began circulating of a remarks Green gave in September last year to a Tea Party group in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Green, who is opposed to gay marriage, said being transgender is a disease.
He urged that a stand be taken against “the indoctrination of Islam” in public schools and also referred to the “Muslim horde” that invaded Constantinople hundreds of years ago.
Several US Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, declared they would oppose Green’s nomination over what they said were intolerant and disturbing views.
Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran who lost her legs and partial use of her right arm during the Iraq war, on Friday said in a statement that Green was not fit to lead the service.
Schumer welcomed Green’s move to step aside.
“Mark Green’s decision to withdraw his name from consideration as army secretary is good news for all Americans, especially those who were personally vilified by his disparaging comments directed toward the LGBT community, Muslim community, Latino community and more,” he said in a statement.
Also on Friday, a coalition of 41 organizations led by the Human Rights Campaign called on the leaders of the US Senate Committee on Armed Services to reject Green’s nomination.
The letter to senators John McCain and Jack Reed said Green’s “shameful rhetoric” is at odds with the army’s core values and would affect recruiting.
Hungarian authorities temporarily detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armored cars carrying tens of millions of euros in cash across Hungary on suspicion of money laundering, officials said on Friday. The Ukrainians were released on Friday, following their detention on Thursday, but Hungarian officials held onto the cash, prompting Ukraine to accuse Hungary’s Russia-friendly government of illegally seizing the money. “We will not tolerate this state banditism,” Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said. The seven detained Ukrainians were employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank, who were traveling in the two armored cars that were carrying the money between Austria and
Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani on Friday after dissolving the Kosovar parliament said a snap election should be held as soon as possible to avoid another prolonged political crisis in the Balkan country at a time of global turmoil. Osmani said it is important for Kosovo to wrap up the upcoming election process and form functional institutions for political stability as the war rages in the Middle East. “Precisely because the geopolitical situation is that complex, it is important to finish this electoral process which is coming up,” she said. “It is very hard now to imagine what will happen next.” Kosovo, which declared
MORE BANS: Australia last year required sites to remove accounts held by under-16s, with a few countries pushing for similar action at an EU level and India considering its own ban Indonesia on Friday said it would ban social media access for children under 16, citing threats from online pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud and Internet addiction. “Accounts belonging to children under 16 on high-risk platforms will start to be deactivated, beginning with YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox,” Indonesian Minister of Communications and Digital Meutya Hafid said. “The government is stepping in so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giants of the algorithm. Implementation will begin on March 28, 2026,” she said. The social media ban would be introduced in stages “until all platforms fulfill their
Counting was under way in Nepal yesterday, after a high-stakes parliamentary election to reshape the country’s leadership following protests last year that toppled the government. Key figures vying for power include former Nepalese prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli, rapper-turned-mayor Balendra Shah, who is bidding for the youth vote, and newly elected Nepali Congress party leader Gagan Thapa. In Kathmandu’s tea shops and city squares, people were glued to their phones, checking results as early trends flashed up — suggesting Shah’s centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was ahead. Nepalese Election Commission spokesman Prakash Nyupane said the counting was ongoing “in a peaceful manner”
RSS