Trump used clips from 'Full Metal Jacket' to criticize the 'woke military' under Biden, Harris
Bret Baier reveals how Kamala Harris interview came together: 'It took a long time'
'Special Report' anchor Bret Baier joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss his interview with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and the current state of the 2024 race as battleground polls indicate the pair are neck-and-neck.
The daughter of famed filmmaker Stanley Kubrick announced her late father would be a supporter of former President Trump after the Republican presidential candidate used footage from Kubrick's military film, "Full Metal Jacket," in a campaign video.
In a post on X, Trump interspersed realistic boot camp scenes from the iconic film with clips of U.S. military service members dressed in drag to warn about the "woke military" under President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Transgender Biden administration official Adm. Rachel Levine is also shown in the video announcing the "Summer of Pride."
"America's military president Donald J. Trump vs. Comrade Kamala Harris," the text on screen reads. "Let's make our military great again."
In a post on X, Kubrick's daughter, Vivian Kubrick, responded to critics who believed her late father "wouldn't have wanted Trump to use FMJ ["Full Metal Jacket"] footage," saying she was "very confident" her father "would be a Trump supporter" if he were alive today.
TRUMP VOWS TO FIRE GENERALS WHO PUSH WOKENESS: ‘YOU CAN’T HAVE A WOKE MILITARY'
The daughter of "Full Metal Jacket" director Stanley Kubrick said her late father would have backed former President Trump. (Getty Images)
WE WILL NOT HAVE A WOKE MILITARY! pic.twitter.com/zpWZhSKcEs
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 13, 2024
"Here are my thoughts: I agree in principle that an anti-war movie is incongruous with promoting the idea of a tough non-woke US military and thus war itself - however - these are very dangerous and strange times and thus using this footage is doubtless pure expedience. Because I’m sure the irony of using FMJ footage is not lost on Trump or his team - Trump is always seeking to end wars and use peaceful methods," she wrote.
"However, that’s primarily what FMJ is about, the shocking and complicated paradoxes of human nature. And thus, on this tooth and claw planet, you need a very strong military - so I’m going to stick with the idea that FMJ footage was used primarily because of its powerful, realistic portrayal of boot camp, juxtaposed with the entirely demoralizing and inappropriate injection of WOKE ideology into the USA military. Which I agree with myself and which I’m certain my father would have agreed with."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
Actors Vincent d'Onofrio, Matthew Modine and R.Lee Ermey on the set of "Full Metal Jacket." (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
"Truthfully, I believe my father (who supported Reagan), would very much approve of saving America, indeed the world, from the highly destructive Globalist forces threatening to take over this planet. And if that footage from FMJ helps Trump make the point that the US military needs properly trained, super tough, focused, dedicated warriors, and not introduce the demoralizing effects of woke-ism, and attracting people to join up simply to have their sexual reassignments paid for, then Trump has my blessing."
"Finally, knowing my father very well, I can assure you he had a profound grasp of how paradoxical human nature is! Which accounts for how at the same time he made anti-war films, he had a great passion for guns (self-defense not hunting) and he had quite a few! My father had a great respect for life - his movies being unimpeachable evidence of his love for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness! So on that basis, I feel very confident he would be a Trump supporter and would forgive using FMJ incongruously, if it helps the cause of freedom!" she concluded.
Stanley Kubrick's daughter said her father had a "great respect for life" and would be a supporter of former president Donald Trump if he were alive today. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Over the past few years, service members and Republicans have sounded the alarm about "woke" DEI initiatives being pushed into the U.S. military by the Biden administration that they say are worsening the recruitment crisis.
Heading into 2024, Fox News Digital reported that the number of active duty service members had declined by 64,000 over the last three years, bringing the total number of troops down to 1,284,500, according to the Defense Authorization Bill. This means the U.S. military will field the smallest force since before World War II.
In May of 2023, the U.S. Navy revealed that it had reached out to a "drag queen influencer" to help with the Navy's "challenging recruiting environment."
Fox News' Bailee Hill contributed to this article.
Kristine Parks is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Read more.
