Backing Trump, Some Ex-Navy Officers Spread Conspiracies, Urge Martial Legislation : NPR

President Bill Clinton applauds Air Force pilot Scott O’Grady, who was shot down in Bosnia and survived six times in the woods, in 1995. Now a Trump supporter and tapped for a prime Pentagon career, O’Grady has been endorsing baseless conspiracy theories related to the election.

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

President Invoice Clinton applauds Air Drive pilot Scott O’Grady, who was shot down in Bosnia and survived 6 times in the woods, in 1995. Now a Trump supporter and tapped for a best Pentagon job, O’Grady has been endorsing baseless conspiracy theories relevant to the election.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The to start with time Scott O’Grady manufactured a splash in the information the Air Power pilot had been shot down on a mission in excess of Bosnia in 1995. He survived in the woods by consuming leaves, grass and bugs for six days just before he was rescued. He returned to the U.S. a hero, was welcomed by President Monthly bill Clinton and appeared on the include of Time journal.

He’s in the information all over again, this time for distinct explanations.

The White House on Monday nominated O’Grady to be assistant secretary of protection for intercontinental protection affairs at the Pentagon.

But in a evaluation of his community statements, CNN located that O’Grady known as former President Barack Obama and some military generals “sworn socialists” in a radio job interview. On Twitter, he endorsed a tweet that referred to as former Defense Secretary James Mattis a “traitor.” And he has backed numerous conspiracy theories, retweeting the baseless assert that Hillary Clinton and George Soros someway assisted aid overseas interference in last month’s election.

Air Pressure pilot Scott O’Grady was on the address of Time in 1995 after he was rescued in Bosnia.

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O’Grady’s nomination even now requires Senate affirmation. Even if he clears that hurdle, he’s practically sure to be replaced when President-elect Joe Biden turns into commander in chief up coming thirty day period.

O’Grady, who headed the team Veterans for Trump during the marketing campaign, is just a person of numerous distinguished, retired military officers who have promoted some of the most outlandish election conspiracy theories and, in some cases, voiced approval for martial law.

In several conditions, Trump has rewarded their loyalty.

The very best-recognised figure is Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant standard and Trump’s 1st nationwide security adviser. Flynn lasted considerably less than a thirty day period in that career and later on pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Trump pardoned him on Nov. 25.

Fewer than a week later on, on Dec. 1, Flynn tweeted his assist for the suitable-wing team, We The People today, which known as on Trump to “instantly declare a confined type of Martial Legislation, and quickly suspend the Constitution and civilian handle of these federal elections, for the sole intent of acquiring the military services oversee a re-vote.”

“We are at the issue exactly where we can only belief our army to do this due to the fact our corrupt political class and courts have proven their incapacity to act pretty and within just the legislation,” the group mentioned in a assertion.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Mark Milley, has insisted the U.S. army will not be involved in politics.

“We have set up a pretty lengthy, 240-calendar year tradition of an apolitical armed forces that does not get concerned in domestic politics,” Milley told NPR in October. “We want to guarantee that there is generally civilian leadership, civilian manage of the armed service, and we will obey the lawful orders of civilian regulate of the navy.”

Having said that, retired armed forces members are free to convey their views, and in the latest many years, they have been doing so much much more openly. Hundreds of previous military and other nationwide security officials signed letters supporting Biden or Trump this 12 months.

Now, some previous officers have long gone way outside of taking a partisan stance. In some instances, they’ve produced unfounded accusations of treason versus their political rivals and have named for suspending the Constitution they once pledged to protect.

Retired Air Power Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney just lately designed the bogus declare that U.S. special operations forces were killed in Germany when they tried to acquire more than a CIA pc facility in Germany. He alleged, without having any evidence, that the CIA was concealing information and facts about vote fraud that flipped ballots from Trump to Biden.

The assert was quickly debunked, nevertheless McInerney has continued to insist it really is true.

McInerney flew extra than 400 fight missions in Vietnam and served at the Pentagon as the Air Force assistant vice chief of staff in the 1990s. Just after he retired, he grew to become a armed forces analyst for Fox News, continuously advocating hawkish positions. He was dropped by Fox in 2018 soon after he mentioned that North Vietnamese torture “worked” on the late Arizona senator John McCain when he was held prisoner for additional than 5 many years.

In a the latest electronic mail to the Navy Moments, McInerney wrote that Trump “won in a landslide and the Dems remaining so several footprints that this TREASON need to be stopped!!!” He included: “This will be the past free of charge election we have and I predicted it on 2 Nov on the Steve Bannon Demonstrate!”

In August, Trump appointed retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata as the performing undersecretary of protection for policy. Tata did not call for Senate affirmation simply because he is serving in an acting ability. Tata has not been associated in controversies in the course of his transient time in the position, but his appointment has arrive under sharp criticism for former remarks.

He named Obama a “terrorist leader” with “Islamic roots” in 2018 tweets. He speculated that Obama could have negotiated a nuclear agreement with Iran due to the fact it would assistance that state “crush Israel.” He later on deleted all those tweets, but CNN captured them in a screenshot.

Greg Myre is an NPR countrywide protection correspondent. Adhere to him @gregmyre1.