Decorated Afghanistan War veteran Sean Parnell, who came within an eyelash of beating Democrat Rep. Conor Lamb in November, lashed out at CNN reporter Jake Tapper for his smear of Rep. Brian Mast.
“Congressman Brian Mast, a Republican from Florida — who lost his legs, by the way, fighting for democracy abroad, although I don’t know … about his commitment to it here in the United States,” Tapper told a panel before rebutting Mast’s comments.
Mast lost both legs in Afghanistan when he stepped on an IED.
Tapper is actually known for his devotion to veterans, having raised money for veteran groups, and writing a book, The Outpost, that was made into a movie. But fellow Army vet Parnell felt compelled to speak out about Tapper’s gross characterization of a decorated war vet.
“It seems as though, based on watching Jake’s coverage of the news in the past and how he displays himself publicly, that really his support of veterans falls into two categories. It’s political, left-wing vets can do no wrong,” Parnell said.
Fox News reached out to CNN for comment on Tapper’s remarks. Instead of responding to the email, the head of its PR department took to Twitter, claiming that the reporting on Tapper’s remarks was a “lie.”
It’s always a “lie” when you use their own words against them.
It wasn’t just Tapper’s smear that angered Parnell, it was the reporter’s reference to Mast’s war wounds that Parnell found disgusting.
“Jake’s comments were particularly below the belt because he specifically referenced, in the initial comment, that Brian defended democracy overseas, he even lost his legs there but his commitment to democracy here at home is in question. It’s gross and it’s reprehensible to reference a veteran’s wounds received on the battlefield and make some political point here at home,” Parnell, who was also wounded in action, said.
Parnell, an Army Ranger combat infantryman with the elite 10th Mountain Division, saw 485 days of conflict along the Afghan-Pakistan border. He was wounded in action in 2006 when his platoon was nearly overrun but was later credited for saving his soldiers. He was awarded two Bronze Stars, one for Valor, and the Purple Heart.
“I lost two legs for @jaketapper’s right to say whatever the hell he wants, but that free speech also protects the Republicans he is so eager to condemn for asking Constitutional questions about the election,” wrote Mast on Twitter.
Tapper couldn’t resist doubling down.
You’re a hero for your service and I’m grateful, as I’ve said before. And yes i question the commitment to democracy of anyone who spread election lies, signed onto that deranged TX AG lawsuit, and voted to commit sedition. You were not just asking questions.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 14, 2021
Why “lies”? You can say they were in error, or misguided, or even nutty, but why use “lies” to describe them? We’ve been seeing a lot of that lately.
By calling them “election lies,” Tapper shows himself to be a partisan hack, no different than any Democratic talking head who shows up on TV. So much for “journalism.”
What’s fascinating is that Tapper appears to believe he has a corner on truth. He has narrowly defined “democracy” to fit his political narrative and furthers the smear by accusing Mast of lying.
If you thought the left wasn’t playing for keeps, this should disabuse you of that notion.
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