A uniformed Navy petty officer is under investigation after a video of her screaming “F— Trump!” at protesters surfaced over the weekend.
Video shows the woman, identified as Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Launch/Recovery) 2nd Class Sarah Dudrey, getting out of a car amid protesters waving American flags at the Ventura County Government Center in California on Sunday. The protesters were gathered to denounce Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide mask mandate, according to Task & Purpose.
Dudrey, 24, is seen shouting “F— Trump!” and “F— you” at the crowd and flashing the middle finger at them. Her commanding officers are unsure what prompted the confrontation and are now investigating, according to Navy Times.
“The Navy is a proponent of free speech, and active-duty members are free to participate in protests during their off-duty time,” Navy spokeswoman Melinda Larson said in a statement. “However, Navy members are not authorized to wear military uniforms while engaging in protests and voicing personal opinions.”
Many in the crowd denounced Dudrey’s actions, with some heard in the video saying, “Take the flag off your shoulder,” “Who’s your commanding officer?” and “You should be ashamed!”
Defense Secretary Mark Esper sent a memo to military personnel in February reminding them not to engage in political activity while representing the military.
“Maintaining the hard-earned trust and confidence of the American people requires us to avoid any action that could imply endorsement of a political party, political candidate or campaign by any element of the Department,” Esper wrote in the memo.
The video comes as people across the country engage in a national conversation on race and police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
“After a thorough inquiry into the matter, the commanding officer will make a determination on what actions are warranted,” Larson said.
