Robert O’Neill, the U.S. Navy SEAL who fired the shots that killed Osama bin Laden, has weighed in on the latest White House controversy to grip the nation.
O’Neill took to Twitter today to issue a response to Trump’s demand for a controversial military parade in Washington, D.C.
A military parade is third world bullshit. We prepare. We deter. We fight. Stop this conversation.
— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) February 8, 2018
The tweet comes after a demand by the President to the Pentagon in which he asked top brass to explore a “celebration” of the armed forces. Trump reportedly became interested in the idea after witnessing a Bastille Day military parade in France last summer.
Per a spokesman for the Department of Defense, the agency is “aware of the request” and is in the process of “determining specific details.”
The request was met with swift backlash by those on both sides of the aisle as wasteful, unnecessary, braggadocios, and un-American.
“I don’t want to be Russia or North Korea, I don’t want to be a totalitarian state, and this is straight from their playbook,” said Washington, D.C. council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3).
The DC government will open on time today.
DC Public Schools will open on time today.
Sadly, the Giant Tank Parade is cancelled. Permanently. pic.twitter.com/mQmElqs3Tt— Council of DC (@councilofdc) February 7, 2018
Trump, for his part, sought five deferments to dodge the Vietnam War, which makes his obsession with the military all the more ironic. Perhaps he should have considered going overseas to serve this country if he wanted to see a procession of armored vehicles so badly.
Between Trump and Robert O’Neill, I’d defer to the latter on matters of patriotism any day of the week.
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