U.S. Senator Martha McSally, the first female Air Force fighter pilot to fly in combat, disclosed during a Senate hearing that she was raped by a superior officer while serving in the military, an experience that left her traumatized and led to years of silence.
The Arizona Republican spoke before the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on March 7, 2019, as part of discussions on sexual assault in the military. She described feeling ashamed and distrustful of the system at the time, which prevented her from reporting the crime.
"I stayed silent for many years," McSally said. "But later in my career, as the military grappled with scandals and their inadequate responses, I felt the need to let some people know, I too was a survivor." She expressed frustration with how her attempts to share her experiences were handled, stating the process felt like "the system was raping me all over again."
A Twitter post from March 7, 2019, quoted commentator Kirsten Powers praising McSally’s disclosure: "I commend her… It's important for people to understand that just because you're a strong woman… doesn't mean that these things can't happen to you." The tweet cited a New Day segment discussing the revelation.
