Retired Army general did not violate rules with tweet mocking Jill Biden: report

An Army investigation concluded that retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky did not violate any legal or ethical rules when he mocked first lady Jill Biden in a social media post in June 2022, a report obtained by USA Today revealed. 

The report did, however, find that Volesky strayed from the social media guidelines that he had created while still working in public affairs for the Army, USA Today reported Tuesday. The report concluded that his tweet resulted in “negative media attention.”

The report was obtained by a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Volesky responded directly to the first lady’s tweet lamenting the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which read, “For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies. Today, that right was stolen.”

“Glad to see you finally know what a woman is,” Volesky tweeted in response to Biden’s post, according to USA Today’s reporting. The reply has since been taken down.

His comment echoed a refrain from conservative-leaning politicians and pundits, pushing back on non-binary definitions of gender and highlighting any uses of binary terms from left-leaning politicians and pundits, who often argue for LGBTQ+ rights and validation.

Volesky, who had been hired as a contractor for the Army, was suspended following the tweet.

The report suggested he strayed from parts of the “Army Social Media Guide,” which was published in 2013 and which he signed.

“When in a position of leadership, conduct online should be professional … by using social media, you are essentially providing a permanent record of what you say … if you would not say it in front of a formation, do not say it online,” the report quoted from the guidelines, USA Today reported.