Hegseth Blocks Admiral's Promotion Due to Drag Show Past

Hegseth Blocks Admiral’s Promotion Due to Drag Show Past

Rear Admiral Donnelly spent decades landing jets on a postage stamp in the middle of the ocean, only to get shot down by a sailor in eyeliner and a high heels.

Pete Hegseth wasn’t going to let a drag queen in heels and a wig torpedo his vision for a culture war-free Navy—especially not from the flight deck of a U.S. aircraft carrier. When news reached Hegseth’s desk that Rear Admiral Michael “Buzz” Donnelly had greenlit multiple drag performances aboard the USS Ronald Reagan during his tenure as commanding officer, the Secretary of Defense was far from pleased.

The intel reportedly came from conservative watchdogs and veterans’ groups who flagged social media posts by drag performer and active-duty sailor “Harpy Daniels” (AKA Joshua J. Kelley) proudly recounting his time entertaining the crew under Donnelly’s command. Hegseth, who’s been scrubbing “wokeism” from the ranks like a chief with a vengeance and a mop full of bleach, yanked the emergency brake on Donnelly’s promotion to vice admiral and command of the Navy’s 7th Fleet. The nomination went up in flames faster than jet fuel in a hangar fire.

BREAKING: @SenTuberville Placed A Hold On Admiral Michael Donnelly Getting His 3rd Star & @SecDef @PeteHegseth Has Taken Him Out Of Consideration To Run The 7th Fleet.
Admiral Donnelly Is The Flag Officer
Who Allowed Drag Queen Performances On The Aircraft Carrier USS Ronald… pic.twitter.com/4EKPi2pF00

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— John Basham (@JohnBasham) July 10, 2025

Drag Shows on the USS Reagan

Between April 2016 and September 2018, while Rear Admiral Michael “Buzz” Donnelly had the conn on the USS Ronald Reagan, the ship’s flight deck wasn’t just launching Super Hornets—it was also hosting drag shows. Well, maybe not exactly on the flight deck per se, but you know what I mean.

Yeoman 3rd Class Joshua Kelley, performing under the name “Harpy Daniels,” donned heels, makeup, and a glittering sense of confidence as part of events sanctioned by the ship’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program.

These weren’t rogue antics below decks. They were approved functions, complete with lip-sync competitions and Navy Exchange gift cards for the winners—Kelley walked away with second place and a cool $1,000. As commanding officer, Donnelly was ultimately responsible for everything happening aboard the Reagan, including the MWR calendar.

Fast-forward to 2025: Donnelly’s nomination to vice admiral and command of the Navy’s 7th Fleet was suddenly yanked by the Defense Department after media outlets started asking uncomfortable questions about the drag shows on his watch. The Pentagon didn’t say why the nomination was withdrawn—but the timing spoke louder than an afterburner at full throttle.

Harpy in Heels — Here we see Yeoman 3rd Class Joshua J. Kelley performing during a Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Lip Synch Battle on the USS Ronald Reagan in late November of 2017. Image Credit: Mass Communication Specialist Charles J. Scudella III / US Navy

From Deck to Dismissal: The Rise and Stall of Rear Adm. Donnelly

Buzz Donnelly isn’t some snot-nosed junior officer who stumbled into the brass lounge by accident—he’s the real deal. Born and raised on Kent Island, Maryland, Donnelly took the long, hard road through the Naval ROTC program at Villanova, got his commission in 1989, and kept climbing. He earned his rank the old-school way: flying fast jets off floating cities. Over the years, he racked up more than 3,000 flight hours and nearly 1,000 carrier landings in the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18F Super Hornet—no small feat in the modern fleet.

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He’s commanded some of the Navy’s most storied outfits, from Strike Fighter Squadron 154 to the USS Denver, and eventually the USS Ronald Reagan, where his watch from 2016 to 2018 would later come back to haunt him. He also led Carrier Strike Group 5 and Task Force 70, plus served as the head of U.S. Naval Forces Korea—a three-hat job that would give most officers heartburn by breakfast. On land, he logged time with NATO in Brussels and held top-level billets at the Pentagon, shaping the future of naval aviation as the F/A-18 Requirements Officer and running the show on aircraft carrier planning. In short, Donnelly’s resume reads like the blueprint for a Navy vice admiral. That’s exactly where he was headed in 2025, nominated to take the helm of the Navy’s 7th Fleet—the big kahuna of the Pacific, with nearly 70 ships, 150 aircraft, and over 27,000 sailors under his command. But, as noted, the promotion never happened. The Defense Department quietly pulled the nomination in July 2025, after some politically inconvenient drag shows that took place on his ship years earlier came to light. And just like that, one of the most decorated, experienced aviators in the modern Navy was benched—left holding a glittery bag he probably didn’t pack. More of Yeoman Kelley performing. Note the looks on the faces of some of the people in the crowd. Priceless. Image Credit: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Charles J. Scudella III / US Navy The Hegseth Doctrine: Tradition Over Transformation Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, known for his staunch opposition to “woke” initiatives within the military, played a pivotal role in the withdrawal of Donnelly’s nomination. Hegseth‘s tenure has been marked by efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, ban drag shows on military bases, and enforce a “color-blind, gender-neutral, merit-based approach” to military promotions. His actions reflect a broader agenda to restore what he perceives as the military’s traditional warrior ethos. And, to be honest, those red heels don’t scream “warrior” to me. Navigating the Crosscurrents: Morale, Tradition, and Modernity As a long-time Army guy, I’ve heard of stuff like this, but have never seen it with my own two eyes. Maybe this is where all those off-color Navy jokes were coming from. While the drag performances were intended to uplift and entertain, their existence became a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over the role of inclusivity and representation in the armed forces. Was this worth squashing Admiral Donnelly’s promotion over? That’s not for me to say. But it does speak loudly to the state of military affairs in the current day. Troops, if you’ve ever thrown a feather boa around your neck in a gentleman’s club in a bit of drunken fun, it may come back to bite you in the butt one day. Welcome to America in 2025.