Army Shuts Down Abusive YouTube Comments Section of Recruitment Ad — Mocked by Ted Cruz — Starring Soldier with Two Moms

Marisa SarnoffMay 21st, 2021, 2:31 pm
 

The U.S. Army shut down the comments section of a recruiting video that featured a soldier with two moms – the same video that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) mocked as “emasculated.”

The recruitment video featuring Corporal Emma Malonelord tells the story of how she came to join the Army, after being raised in California by two moms.

“I needed my own adventures, my own challenge,” Malonelord says in the animated video. “And after meeting with an Army recruiter, I found it. A way to prove my inner strength, and maybe shatter some stereotypes along the way.”

The recruitment ad closes with Malonelord saying “I answered my calling.”

As of Friday afternoon, the video, which was first posted to YouTube on May 4, has received just over 2,000 “likes” and 50,000 “dislikes.”

“Beginning May 12 we started noticing a significant uptick in negative commentary,” Laura DeFrancisco, public affairs chief for the Army Enterprise Marketing Office, told the Army Times. “The comments violated our social media policy and were not aligned with Army values. Out of respect for the safety and wellbeing of our soldiers and their families, we have disabled the comments.”

Despite the negative comments about the video, and Cruz doubling-down on his criticism of the ad, in which he used a homophobic slur, Malonelord has received praise from Army leaders.

U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Robert Abrams tweeted that he recently met Malonelord, and described her as a “superstar.”

Other members of the military have also expressed support for Malonelord.

Malonelord, an air defense system operator stationed in South Korea, said on Twitter that she is thankful for the support.

Watch the ad above.

Tags: