Pentagon Withdraws Admiral's Nomination to Lead Pacific Fleet Amid Renewed Attention on Drag Shows

The Pentagon has confirmed reports it has pulled Navy Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly from promotion and a new job overseeing the Navy's Pacific fleet after a conservative news outlet again highlighted his role in allowing sailors to hold drag shows aboard a ship he commanded nearly 10 years ago.

A senior defense official confirmed that "Secretary Hegseth has chosen to withdraw Adm. Donnelly's nomination to lead 7th Fleet" in a statement provided Friday, adding "the department will open up nominations for the 7th Fleet commander" -- the fleet that operates in the Pacific and especially around Japan and China.

On Thursday, conservative news outlet The Daily Wire first reported on the move and noted it occurred "following inquiries from The Daily Wire about Donnelly and the drag queen shows he permitted on board the USS Ronald Reagan."

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Pentagon officials wouldn't comment on The Daily Wire's implied role in scuttling Donnelly's move to the 7th Fleet.

Meanwhile, Navy officials remained silent about a top admiral being pulled for promotion and nomination to a key leadership position within the service -- a move that effectively ends Donnelly's career in the Navy since he is unlikely to be selected for another promotion.

Conservative activists and politicians fixated on drag performances across the military in 2023, prompting then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to issue a military-wide prohibition on the events in the summer of that year. Many of those events were typically hosted at the same time as Pride Month -- an annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community that occurs in June.

Conservatives especially fixated on then-Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, who was open about his performances as a drag queen under the name "Harpy Daniels." Kelley was profiled in 2018 by NBC while he was stationed aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, and the reporting noted a Lip Sync Battle that the carrier hosted in November 2017 in which Kelley performed wearing a woman's wig, high heels and red lipstick.

Donnelly commanded the USS Ronald Reagan from April 2016 until September 2018.

Conservatives like Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., argued that performances like the one on the USS Ronald Reagan were a sign of a military that "is too focused on political and cultural issues rather than readiness and lethality."

Another lawmaker, Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., said he didn't endorse any type of "oversexualized performance" on military bases during a congressional hearing in June 2023.

Yet the following month, Military.com reported that Joint Base Lewis-McChord's air show just outside of Tacoma, Washington, featured models dancing on stage in skintight red, white and blue bikinis, on the runway posing in front of cargo planes and in front of hot rods parked inside a hangar. Two dancers were also featured wearing revealing flight suits while dancing on stage.

Meanwhile, the Navy has a long and storied tradition of men dressing in women's clothing -- mostly as part of initiation ceremonies.

The centuries-old tradition of a "line crossing" ceremony -- conducted whenever a ship crosses the Equator -- features the court of King Neptune. Neptune's wife, Queen Amphitrite, was often played by a male sailor in drag.

The Navy's initiation of chief petty officers, or CPOs, has also historically featured aspects of cross-dressing.

A report on the initiation written by Master Chief Petty Officer James Leuci and published by the Naval History and Heritage Command noted that "costumes and cross-dressing were the norm for CPO initiations through the 1990s."

"CPO selectees were often intimidated, by peer pressure, to participate in activities that included cross-dressing, the use of sex toys, condoms, and feminine hygiene products as props," the report adds. It also features several photos from the late 1980s of grown men wearing bras and bikini tops, dresses, female wigs and hula skirts.

Meanwhile, according to his official biography, Donnelly began his Navy career in 1989 as a pilot who flew the F-14 Tomcat and then the F/A-18F Super Hornet.

Since leaving the USS Reagan, he has held several command posts, including Carrier Strike Group Five and U.S. Naval Forces Korea. He's currently the head of the chief of naval operations air warfare directorate.

Since becoming the focus of conservatives more than two years ago, Kelley has continued to serve in the Navy and was promoted to petty officer first class. In June, he reenlisted for four years, according to a social media post.

Related: Base Air Show Featuring Scantily Clad Models Raises Questions About Justification for Drag Show Ban