@Shepard Solus: Yep. Here's some links:
https://twitter.com/WSMVAlanna/status/860583704871272448 - The would-be Army Secretary's notification of withdrawal. I quote:
“Unfortunately, due to false and misleading attacks against me. This nomination has become 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."
And some of those "mischaracterizations":
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/26/mark-green-army-secretary-trump-islamic-state-lgbt-237629
Green had been criticized for comments on a radio program in which he referred to Syrian refugees whom he called “ISIS people” and transgender bathroom-access fights as “evil.”
“Evil is crushed. So I’m going to protect women in their bathrooms, and I’m going to protect our state against potential infiltration of Syrian ISIS people through a refugee program,” Green said on the program.
The Times noted that Green has a history of controversial statements regarding LGBT rights, including telling the Chattanooga Tea Party at an event last year that “if you poll the psychiatrists, they’re going to tell you that transgender is a disease.”
Green argued in his Facebook post, however, that he only called terrorists evil and suggested terrorists be crushed. He said he has “never and will never force my religion on anyone” and believes “every American has a right to defend their country regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion.”
“It's the radical left that won't allow the latter,” he said. “I have never considered myself a judge of anyone, but I have been a protector of everyone in this nation.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mark-green-transgender-evil_us_58f8c4cce4b0cb086d7eb012
Tennessee state Sen. Mark Green (R), President Donald Trump’s choice to be the next Army secretary, believes that part of his mission as a public official is to “crush evil” ? and that opposing transgender equality policies is key to that effort.
“There are 300,000 rapes in the United States every year,” Green said. “Three hundred thousand women who are sexually assaulted by predators. We know this. It’s documented. It’s factual. To think that some young guy isn’t going to take advantage of the system where we’re going to allow guys to go into the bathroom ? the women’s bathroom ? to think that it’s not going to happen is just ridiculous.”
But for Green, there’s also a biblical reason to oppose these policies: He needs to “crush evil”:
And as far as the religious argument goes, and this applies to the issue of Syrian refugees as well. There’s a big fuss about whether or not that we should sue the federal government over having to take refugees from Syria into the State of Tennessee, I believe we should sue the federal government in that case because Romans 13 is pretty doggone clear, this is the passage where it tells people to submit to the authorities meaning, basically if you’re in the government, you should do what the government tells you to do. You know, don’t speed, all that kind of stuff. Obey the laws is basically what the passage says. But what it goes on to say is that because the government exists for two purposes.
The government exists to honor those people who live honorably, who do good things to reward people who behave well and to crush evil. So that means as a state senator, my responsibility very clearly in Romans 13 is to create an environment where people who do right are rewarded and the people who do wrong are crushed. Evil is crushed.
So I’m going to protect women in their bathrooms, and I’m going to protect our state against potential infiltration from the Syrian ISIS people in the refugee program. And whoever wants to stand up and take me on that, I’m ready to fight.
