'F--- Tucker Carlson': Senator and Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth reams out Fox News host over his comments about women in the military

• Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a war veteran, tore into Fox host Tucker Carlson over his recent comments.
• Carlson ranted about female troops and accused Biden of making a "mockery" of the armed forces.
• "While he was practicing his two-step, America's female warriors" hunted al-Qaida, Duckworth said.

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth didn't mince words on Thursday when reacting to the Fox News host Tucker Carlson's recent comments about women in the military.

"F--- Tucker Carlson," Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, tweeted. "While he was practicing his two-step, America's female warriors were hunting down Al Qaeda and proving the strength of America's women."

She added: "Happy belated International Women's Day to everyone but Tucker, who even I can dance better than. ...and we all know it was his female partner who did all the hard work."

On Tuesday's episode of his prime-time show, Carlson accused President Joe Biden of trying to feminize the military and making a "mockery" of the armed forces.

"So we've got new hairstyles, maternity flight suits," Carlson said. "Pregnant women are going to fight our wars."

He added: "It's a mockery of the US military. While China's military becomes more masculine … our military needs to become, as Joe Biden says, more feminine - whatever feminine means anymore, since men and women no longer exist."

Carlson went on: "The bottom line is: It's out of control, and the Pentagon's going along with this. Again, this is a mockery of the US military and its core mission, which is winning wars."

The prime-time star drew swift backlash and ridicule over his remarks. Military women who are pregnant are exempted from arduous duties and deployments, and the services have strived to make the uniforms they wear more comfortable as one part of a campaign to keep more midcareer women in the service. Women make up about 16% of the armed forces.

There's also little love lost between Duckworth and Carlson. Last year, Carlson questioned the Democratic senator's patriotism and called her "deeply silly." Duckworth is a former US Army helicopter pilot who lost her legs after a 2004 rocket-propelled grenade struck her aircraft in Iraq. Carlson was rejected by the CIA after college and has not served in uniform.

After his broadcast, the US Army's official Twitter account posted tweets featuring photos of women serving in different roles in the military.

Several senior Army officials ripped Carlson, saying he "couldn't be more wrong," while the Pentagon said the military wouldn't take advice from a talk-show host.

"We still have a lot of work to do to make our military more inclusive," the department's spokesperson told reporters. "What we absolutely won't do is take personnel advice from a talk-show host or the Chinese military."