A US army general has been suspended and is facing investigation after he posted a tweet that appeared to mock first lady Jill Biden.
Retired Lt Gen Gary Volesky, who previously served as the US army’s top spokesperson, has been suspended from his consulting contract and put under investigation for violation of military rules, according to local media reports.
The three-star general had replied to a tweet by Ms Biden, where she said the rights of women had been stolen by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.
“For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies. Today, that right was stolen from us,” Ms Biden tweeted.
In response, Mr Volesky mockingly wrote: “Glad to see you finally know what a woman is.”
The tweet caused an uproar among many online and now the army is investigating whether this constitutes a violation, according to USA Today.
Any official of the US army or associated with the Pentagon is expected to steer clear of partisan politics.
Lt Gen Theodore Martin, commander of the Combined Arms Center, has suspended Mr Volesky while an investigation is underway, Cynthia Smith, an army spokesperson, told the outlet.
Mr Volesky, a recipient of the US army’s third highest gallantry Silver Star after the Iraq war, was serving as a senior mentor, providing advice to top military officials, as part of his $92-an-hour (£77-an-hour) consultancy contract after his retirement.
However, this isn’t the first time the general has potentially violated the rule of staying away from politics.
According to Axios, he had earlier mocked representative Liz Cheney when she announced that she was going to be on the Jan 6 Select Committee and that their “oath to the Constitution must be above partisan politics”.
“This is all about partisan politics,” Mr Volesky had written at the time.
