Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee and vulnerable Senate Democrat up for reelection this cycle, will not say if he is against allowing “drag queen story hour” for children on military bases after reports one was hosted at an air force base in his state.
Republican lawmakers recently grilled Pentagon leaders on why there have been drag queen shows and drag queen story hours hosted at military bases and who is funding them.
In 2021, a drag queen story hour was hosted at Malmstrom Air Force Base, which is in Tester’s state of Montana. The military base even posted pictures of the event on its Facebook page:
The Pentagon confirmed to the Great Falls Tribune that the event took place as part of LGBTQ Pride month, noting that it was a part of “voluntary events to celebrate monthly observances or cultural events if approved by the local installation commander” and not a “mandatory military-sponsored event.”
RELATED–WATCH: “Who Funded These?”: Matt Gaetz Grills Pentagon Chief on Drag Queen Story Hours, Shows at Military Bases (Starts at 1:53)
At the time, Montana’s three Republican lawmakers — Sen. Steve Daines, Rep. Matt Rosendale, and Rep. Ryan Zinke — all wrote a letter to the Biden administration’s Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley demanding answers.
Tester remained silent.
Breitbart News asked Tester’s office on Thursday if he approved of drag queen story hours at military bases, noting that he recently visited the base.
Tester spokesperson Sarah Feldman said Tester’s office previously issued a statement about the event that said:
As Chairman of the Senate committee that sets the military’s budget, Senator Tester takes seriously his responsibility to make sure our armed forces have the necessary resources to keep our nation safe. That’s why he’s bringing the Air Force Secretary to Malmstrom this week to see Montana’s critical defense installations firsthand. With foreign adversaries like China and Russia actively working to make our country less safe, Senator Tester has made clear that the military’s top priority needs to be its own readiness.
However, when pressed to clarify specifically whether Tester supported drag queen story hours at Malmstrom, Breitbart News did not receive a response.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.