The appointment of a trans-identifying American as a spokesman for the Ukrainian military has raised concerns among conservatives due to his controversial background and political views. Michael “Sarah” Cirillo, who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in 2022, has been promoted to the rank of sergeant and is now the AFU spokesman. Host Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire highlighted Cirillo’s past activities and statements, revealing a history that includes running for office on a marijuana-based platform and advocating for a “perpetual revolution” to “crush” American society.
Knowles pointed out that Cirillo’s journey into identifying as transgender began after he married his wife, leading to their divorce. Cirillo’s past Instagram posts suggest a need for constant stimulation and a feeling that he could leave disaster zones to return to a comfortable life in the United States. In 2019, Cirillo started performing his version of womanhood in public.
Cirillo’s political involvement includes a run for Las Vegas city council on a platform centered around using cannabis revenue to fund various programs. However, his political journey took a more radical turn when he joined the Democratic Socialists of America and called for a perpetual revolution to crush American society.
Cirillo’s interactions with Congressman Eric Swalwell were also highlighted by Knowles, who noted that Cirillo had met with the Democratic representative to discuss ways to enhance Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia. The promotion of Cirillo to sergeant within the Ukrainian military raised questions among conservatives about his qualifications and the rationale behind such a decision.
Conservatives express concern about the potential impact of having an individual with such a background and political ideology as the face of the Western-backed effort in a major conflict. They question whether this appointment is serving the interests of Ukraine and its allies or if it is a manifestation of personal identity politics that could undermine the mission and stability of the military operation.
