US Congressmen Pat Harrigan has fumed over DEI within the US military and hailed President Donald Trump's purge of the policies, in an exclusive interview with GB News.
He and Congressman Gilbert Cisneros travelled to the UK to attend London Defence Conference 2025 as part of a bipartisan delegation organised by With Honor which helps support US veterans.
The visit comes just a day after VE Day commemorations and the signing of a landmark UK-US trade deal.
Cisneros, who serves on the Armed Services Committee in the US House of Representatives, highlighted the importance of connecting with British colleagues.
Congressman Pat Harrigan beleives DEI in the US military is a 'waste of taxpayer dollars'
GB News
"I'm here with an organisation called With Honor," Cisneros told GB News.
"I'm part of the For Country Caucus in the United States House of Representatives."
The bipartisan caucus focuses on supporting veterans and military personnel.
"We're interested in talking to our counterparts here in the British Parliament to see what ideas we can share and really just getting to know them better and building those bonds," Cisneros added.
Harrigan shared his experience of VE Day celebrations at the British Embassy in Washington.
"I was actually at the British Embassy in Washington for VE Day, a celebration day before yesterday evening, and had an absolutely wonderful rendition of Winston Churchill's VE Day speech that was given at the podium by an impersonator," he said.
The North Carolina representative described the experience as "historically fantastical".
He noted the significance of being in London following such an occasion.
"It's a great time to be here. Very relevant time for Congress to be here," Harrigan remarked.
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GB News spoke to Congressman Gilbert Cisneros
GB News
When asked about Donald Trump's plans to rename VE Day to Victory Day in the US, Harrigan emphasised the importance of recognising alliances.
"It's an important concept to recognise the importance of alliances, particularly as threats around the entire world grow," he said.
Both congressmen expressed optimism about the UK-US trade deal signed yesterday.
"There's absolutely no question about that. We have a long, long enjoyed a very vibrant and strong partnership with the UK that continued yesterday," Harrigan told the People's Channel.
He suggested the deal aligned with President Trump's approach to international trade.
"I think all President Trump is trying to do is say, look, give us the same opportunity that we've given you," he explained.
Cisneros echoed these sentiments, emphasising the importance of the longstanding alliance.
"Great Britain, a United Kingdom, is a long-time ally of the United States, and we want to continue that relationship," he said.
The Democrat added that strengthening Nato and supporting Ukraine were key areas for cooperation.
"Those are things that we can definitely work together on," Cisneros stated.
The congressmen revealed contrasting views on diversity initiatives in the US military when questioned by GB News.
Cisneros expressed strong support for DEI programmes.
"Look, I'm a big believer in diversity," he said. "Diversity is a strength because it brings many people from many different cultures together."
He emphasised the importance of different perspectives within the armed forces.
"I think it's important for us to have a military that has people of different cultures, people of different sexes," Cisneros added.
Harrigan, however, took a different stance, focusing on military effectiveness.
"Anything that we do that takes our focus off the main objective of war fighting... is wasted time," the veteran congressman argued.
"We have not won a conflict since World War Two, except for Desert Storm," Harrigan said. "We need to stop it. We are stopping it in the United States of America right now."
Rye Barcott is the CEO of With Honour
GB News
Rye Barcott, CEO of With Honour, told GB News that over a dozen members of Congress had made the trip to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe.
The delegation aimed to reflect on "what that meant for the world order and the freedom that we all enjoy today."
Barcott highlighted the declining veteran representation in US politics.
"There are only 20 per cent of the US Congress who are military veterans right now, down from a high of over 70 per cent," he explained.
With Honor is working to address this imbalance by meeting with veterans in the British Parliament from both parties.
"To strengthen that cohesion and dialogue, because we know that there are some things that transcend those tribal differences," Barcott said.
