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| Donald Trump on Fox News |
Donald Trump raised eyebrows over the weekend when, during an interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace, he not only wouldn't give credit to the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden during the Obama administration, but he criticized the mission saying it took too long.
From The Hill:
"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace noted during a discussion with the president that retired Navy Adm. William McRaven has said Trump's attacks on the media are the "greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime."
Trump in response called McRaven a "Hillary Clinton fan" and "Obama-backer."
"Wouldn’t it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn’t it have been nice?" Trump asked. "You know, living — think of this — living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don’t know, I’ve seen nicer. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there."
"You’re not even going to give them credit for taking down bin Laden?" Wallace asked.
"They took him down but — look, look, there’s news right there, he lived in Pakistan, we’re supporting Pakistan, we’re giving them $1.3 billion a year, which we don’t give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don’t do anything for us, they don’t do a damn thing for us," Trump responded.
Regarding being a "Hillary" fan or "Obama" fan, McRaven told CNN later that evening:
“I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else. I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times.”
The McRaven/Bin Laden chat begins around 4:37 mark below:
It's worth noting that back in 2011, Trump was more than pleased with the results of the Navy Seals and CIA.
On May 2, 2011, Trump gave this statement to Politico:
"I want to personally congratulate President Obama and the men and women of the Armed Forces for a job well done."
"I am so proud to see Americans standing shoulder to shoulder, waving the American flag in celebration of this great victory."
"We should spend the next several days not debating party politics, but in remembrance of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and those currently fighting for our freedom. God Bless America!"
I guess that good will goes away when you become a politician?
Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!..— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018
....We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. That’s ENDING!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018
McRaven responded to the criticism in a statement doubling down on his assertion that Trump's attacks on the media are "the greatest threat to our democracy" in his lifetime.
Adm. McRaven responds: "I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office ... I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime." https://t.co/VRvAEaA0l1— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 19, 2018
And it appears Trump has a short memory, because one reporter says McRaven was on the Trumpster's short list for national security adviser.
Worth noting: retired Adm. William McRaven was on Trump’s short list for national security adviser. https://t.co/ls4ejz54ip— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) November 19, 2018
"I think the President's comments show a fundamental misunderstanding of ... how military operations & the chain of command operate."— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) November 19, 2018
Fmr. DHS Press Sec @DaveLapanDC on Trump's criticism of retired Adm McRaven's role in OBL raid https://t.co/9sKpUcuNJe pic.twitter.com/1lQ5bFfydJ
Navy Seal Robert J. O'Neill, who actually shot bin Laden, chimed in saying the mission was 'bipartisan' and "We all wanted to get him as soon as we could."
The mission to get bin Laden was bipartisan. We all wanted to get him as soon as we could.— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) November 19, 2018
And when a MAGA troll questioned whether bin Laden was killed as soon as possible, O'Neill responded, "We could only fly so fast, bro."
We could only fly so fast, bro. https://t.co/yAFgsQZUsb— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) November 19, 2018
To veterans who supported @realDonaldTrump,— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) November 19, 2018
Your 5 time draft dodging coward President has attacked John McCain, a Gold star family and now Navy Seal Retired Adm. William McRaven, the architect of the Bin Laden raid. How much longer will USA armed forces support this loser? pic.twitter.com/6RhVvIt3Xz
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