The removal of Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield continues to dominate headlines, and while the official reason remains “a loss of confidence in her ability to lead,” new reports indicate something far more specific: she refused to hang portraits of President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at NATO headquarters. That refusal, according to sources, crossed a line in the chain of command — and sealed her fate.
Enter Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), who once again proved that she can be counted on for loud, uninformed commentary whenever discipline or military order is involved.
They fired Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield—not because she couldn’t do the job, but because she wouldn’t hang up pictures of Trump and Hegseth. This ain’t about merit—it’s about ego. https://t.co/W20f4xotwB
— Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (@RepJasmine) April 9, 2025
After Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell posted a brief but pointed update confirming Chatfield’s removal, Crockett couldn’t resist chiming in on X (formerly Twitter). Her attempt to turn the firing into a political indictment of the Trump administration fell flat — and Parnell wasted no time dismantling her take.
Crockett, who’s never served a day in uniform, fired off a reply criticizing the Pentagon’s move. It was the kind of post you’d expect from someone more focused on performative outrage than policy substance.
Parnell responded with a reality check, reminding her — and the public — that the military operates under civilian leadership, and that refusing a lawful order — even one as mundane as displaying the commander-in-chief’s portrait — is a dereliction of duty.
Supporting the Commander in Chief and the Defense Secretary is the first rule of her job.
— Steve Rubes (@rubes_stev863) April 9, 2025
And that’s exactly the point: in a military structure, the President and Defense Secretary aren’t optional figureheads — they are at the top of the chain of command. If an officer refuses to acknowledge that leadership in her own workspace, what message does that send to subordinates?
Congresswoman, I realize this may be a foreign concept to you but here at the DoD if you disrespect the chain of command & don’t do your job, you will be replaced.
Period. https://t.co/HrtUpI9Owc
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) April 9, 2025
Parnell made it clear: “This is about military discipline and command structure — not political theater.”
This isn’t the first time Crockett has inserted herself into military matters with little understanding of how the system works. From her misguided comments on the use of National Guard resources to her tone-deaf remarks on foreign policy, Crockett has made it her brand to be loud first and informed later — if at all.
As one online commenter put it:
“They held auditions for ‘political fool’ and Crockett signed up twice.”
