Women in combat is a national scandal. It is a disgrace. It is a deep, deep shame and stain on our country. And I don't even hear the conservative politicians talking about this. Women in combat is a very recent phenomenon, as the lady just said in that commercial. And yet, we just totally gave up that fight. Why? Because we don't wanna be seen as disrespecting women who serve in the military. I have the utmost respect for women who serve in the military. I'm deeply grateful for their inclination to serve and sacrifice. But the military is not about individual desires. It's not even about individual ability. It's about cohesion and unity and national policy and who we wanna be as a nation. I have no doubt that's -- that there are a significant number of women who would valiantly go out and risk their lives and bodily integrity to go fight for America. I don't want them to do that. I think it's bad for America to send women into harm's way.

I think part of the reason that we have an army is so that we don't have to do that. I think it's disordered. I think that women are more nurturing. They're the weaker sex. They're the gentler sex. And a major reason to have a military is to protect them because boys need their mommies, and husbands need their wives, and societies need a nurturing feminine element. And when we're talking -- especially when we're talking about fighting a lethal force, we need to not be sentimental and not be absurdly ideological. We need to send out the toughest, strongest, brawniest fellas. The -- the reason to keep women out of combat is as much for the men as for the women. It's as much for the civilians as for the fighting force. And you need to say it. Even -- even moderate Democrats said this 10 years ago, and now the conservative right-wing won't say it.