‘They Lost Ryan’: Trump Under Fire for Blaming Navy SEAL’s Death on Generals
Commander-in-Chief Takes Zero Responsibility for Failed Raid that Also Killed Scores of Civilians
President Donald Trump is under fire for blaming his generals while taking no personal responsibility for the loss of a Navy SEAL, Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan†Owens, during a failed raid in Yemen that he approved after just five days in office.Â
“This was a mission that was started before I got here,” the Commander-in-Chief told “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning. “This was something they wanted to do,” Trump said of his generals.
“They came to me, they explained what they wanted to do ― the generals ― who are very respected, my generals are the most respected that we’ve had in many decades, I believe. And they lost Ryan,” President Trump said.
Trump was asked about Owens’ father, who has said he does not want to talk to Trump and is demanding an investigation in to the raid.
“I can understand people saying that. I’d feel ― ‘What’s worse?’ There’s nothing worse,” he said. “This was something that they were looking at for a long time doing,” Trump insisted.
“I can understand… I’d feel ‘what’s worse?’ There’s nothing worse.” –@POTUS on fallen Navy SEAL’s father not wanting to talk to him pic.twitter.com/cPeJhB94ox
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) February 28, 2017
Reports state Trump was told it was a very daring mission that President Obama would not have been “bold enough” to approve.
Trump went on to say that Defense Secretary James Mattis said “it was a very successful mission. They got tremendous amounts of information.”
Reports state otherwise.
Navy SEAL William “Ryan†Owens died during that January 29 mission. While the White House has claimed it was a necessary mission that resulted in the capture of valuable data, some reports state that it was a failure.Â
In addition to Owens’ death, between 14 and 25 civilians were killed during the mission, including children. A $70 – $90 million aircraft was damaged and had to be destroyed to prevent it from being taken by enemies.
Thye decision to approve the mission was not made from the Situation Room or even from the Oval Office, but over a dinner that included Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Defense Secretary Mattis and Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Vice President Mike Pence, and the now-former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn.
The New York Times reported, “almost everything that could go wrong did.”
Trump is also under fire today for suggesting the anti-Semitic attacks on 100 Jewish Community Centers and cemeteries might be false flags, or “the reverse” of who people might might think would do them.
Trump on taking responsibility:
Anti-Semitism: “the reverse”
SEAL death: Blame military
Criticism: Blame media
Protests: Blame Obama— Tom Namako (@TomNamako) February 28, 2017
On Twitter, many were stunned that Trump would pawn off blame to his generals and take no responsibility for the death of Owens.
Here’s Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu of California:
Dear @realDonaldTrump: Take some frickin’ responsibility. Stop making stuff up. They lost Ryan? No, you lost Ryan. https://t.co/1EU07jaYYY
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) February 28, 2017
Others:
The unearned intimacy of using Chief Petty Officer Owens’ first name makes this grate even more harshly. https://t.co/nR9RGthhbB
— Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) February 28, 2017
Trump blames the military for Navy Seal’s death in raid he approved. He wants all the acclaim but none of the responsibility. Truly SAD!
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) February 28, 2017
@foxandfriends @POTUS Mr, Trump.. Be a man and say you screwed up.. stop blaming Obama for your bad decision.This mission was NOT a SUCCESS.
— Sharon Sausedo (@SSausedo) February 28, 2017
@foxandfriends @POTUS Obama did not carry out the mission for a reason,YOU did. Take responsibility for your actions POTUS. You are to blame
— Wendy Rosen (@RSVP2Wendy) February 28, 2017
@foxandfriends @POTUS Trump throws the military under the bus, and Fox cheers him on.
— Patrick C (@pdc2k6) February 28, 2017
Trump: “I ordered a highly successful raid, but my generals, they lost Ryan” First to take credit, last to take responsibility – our CIC
— Sagita (@Sagita79784293) February 28, 2017
Trump exhibits mark of gutless, shameless, weak leader by refusing to accept responsibility for botched Yemen raid he negligently ordered. pic.twitter.com/gGMCXWHZFl
— Dario Navarro (@darionavarro111) February 28, 2017
I miss having a President who was big enough to take responsibility for his mistakes. Course if Trump did that it’d be all he ever did.
— Touré (@Toure) February 28, 2017
Trump again demonstrates what a cowardly narcissist he is by saying ‘they lost Ryan’.
He refuses to take responsibility as president. Sad!
— Christian Greco (@Jolly_Esquire) February 28, 2017
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