The leadership of the United States military at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota recently cautioned service members via text message about potential implications for their ongoing service should they choose to participate in a nearby rally featuring a speaker affiliated with an organization known for its past support of former President Donald Trump.
The message advised any personnel from the base contemplating a visit to town during last Friday’s event to exercise caution and seek assistance for any apprehensions they may have.
The gathering highlighted by the Air Force leadership was the “Dakota Patriot Rally,” held at the state fairgrounds in Minot. Leadership cautioned Air Force members, stating that certain individuals present at the rally might potentially pose confrontational situations for military personnel.
The text message additionally alerted military members that the keynote speaker for the event would be from Turning Point Action, an organization characterized by leadership as being associated with the alt-right.
In the message addressed to service members of the Air Force base, leadership cautioned that involvement with organizations like Turning Point Action could put their ongoing service in the U.S. military at risk.
As per the Dakota Patriot Rally’s website, the highlighted speaker for the event was Tyler Bower, the Chief Operating Officer of Turning Point Action. Bower, a conservative activist with a background in various political roles, joined Turning Point USA before assuming his current position.
When approached by Fox News concerning the event, an unidentified spokesperson from Turning Point Action clarified that the recent “Dakota Patriot Rally” was not officially sanctioned by the organization. Nevertheless, the spokesperson characterized the warning message issued by Air Force leaders as highly distressing.
The spokesperson remarked, “Tyler Bowyer was simply a keynote speaker. Secondly, Turning Point Action is not alt-right, it’s a mainstream conservative organization, and Tyler Bowyer is not some fringe personality—he’s the COO of TPAction, an RNC committeeman from the state of Arizona, and one of the most accomplished political organizers in the country. Lastly, Mr. Bowyer and attendees of this event are not ‘confrontational to military members,’ they’re some of the US Military’s most ardent supporters.”
