Ex-NSA analyst slams Trump’s ‘exploitation’ of dead SEAL’s widow: ‘F*ck all that!’

President Trump‘s speech to a joint session of Congress is getting mixed reviews to say the least. Some see it as his most “presidential” speech to date, while others saw as nothing more than just another attack on immigrants.

What’s undeniable is the powerful moment where the widow of Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens‘ received a standing ovation that lasted for nearly two minutes. Owens was a Navy SEAL who was killed during a botched Yemen raid targeting Al Qaeda last month, where 14 to 25 civilians were killed, many of them women and children.

Carryn Owens‘ pain was on full display as she stood for the ovation. But some thought she was being exploited by Trump, who many agree didn’t give the operation enough scrutiny before authorizing it.

One of those people is ex-NSA analyst, current security consultant, and columnist for The Observer John Schindler. During Trump’s speech, Schindler took to Twitter and expressed his disgust for the spectacle, accusing Trump of exploiting the dead SEAL’s  widow for political purposes.

In the above tweet, Schindler was referring to a photo that circulated on social media showing the Joint Chiefs of Staff looking rather cynical as Trump spoke (see below).

Via Twitter

Schindler clarified that it’s expected that people will die in military operations, but Trump’s usage of Owens’ widow as a political prop is a game changer.

In response to another Twitter user who said Carryn Owens didn’t really have a choice in the matter, Schindler suggested that she probably didn’t want to be there in the first place.

He then mentioned Trump’s interview on Fox & Friends where he seemingly shifted blame for Owens’ death to the military — who carried out an operation that he approved.

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Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.