'The greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime': Ex-Seal commander who led mission to kill Bin laden attacks Trump after the President said that he should have killed terrorist sooner

  • The president criticized retired Navy Admiral Bill McRaven after he called Trump's attack on the media a danger to democracy
  • Trump responded by calling McRaven a Hillary Clinton supporter and by claiming that the military should have killed 9/11 terrorist Bin Laden sooner 
  • 'Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama Bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice?,' President Trump said on 'Fox News Sunday' 
  • Bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011, and reports indicated he'd been living there for years 
  • Trump said bin Laden lived in a 'nice mansion' 
  • McRaven did not endorse in the 2016 presidential contest 

An ex-Navy Seal commander blasted Donald Trump's attacks on the media as the 'greatest threat to democracy' in his lifetime after the President said he should have killed Osama bin Laden sooner.

The President went on the offensive after retired Navy Admiral Bill McRaven, who headed the Seal unit in charge of the raid of the 9/11 mastermind, attacked Trump for undermining the media.

Trump branded McRaven a Hillary Clinton fan and criticized the length of time it took the US military to locate and kill Bin Laden, claiming they allowed the terrorist to live in a 'nice' mansion in Pakistan for too long.

In response to Trump's remarks, McRaven told CNN: 'I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else. 

President Donald Trump criticized U.S. Navy Seals on Sunday for not killing 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden much earlier than they did

President Donald Trump criticized U.S. Navy Seals on Sunday for not killing 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden much earlier than they did

Retired Admiral Bill McRaven did not endorse anyone in the 2016 presidential race

Retired Admiral Bill McRaven did not endorse anyone in the 2016 presidential race

'I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times. 

'I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime. 

'When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands.'   

Trump's remarks also prompted criticism from Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, who served with McRaven in Europe and Iraq.

'I'd use one word. And that's 'disgusting,'' Hertling said on CNN when asked about his thoughts on Trump's criticism of McRaven.

'You know everyone knows Bill McRaven as being the guy that led the bin Laden raid.

' I know him as the guy as the joint special operations commander in Iraq, and there were multiple missions where this guy placed himself in danger, led soldiers in some of the most challenging situations you can imagine.'

Hertling added that to have someone 'that holds an office that's supposed to represent all people and who says he supports the military, to just dismiss this great American hero as a guy who was a Hillary Clinton lover, which is patently not true, is just really disgusting.'

McRaven wrote in a Washington Post op-ed in August that Trump has 'embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation.' 

The president complained bin Laden got to live in a nice mansion in Pakistan

The president complained bin Laden got to live in a nice mansion in Pakistan

His criticism of Trump came up when Fox News host Christ Wallace pressed Trump on whether his harsh rhetoric on the media was hurting the country and pointed out that people like McRaven 'say that your sentiment is the greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime.'

'Hillary Clinton fan,' Trump said of the retired admiral on Fox News Sunday. 'Excuse me, Hillary Clinton fan.'

The president added: 'He's a Hilary Clinton, uh, backer and an Obama-backer.'

He added: 'Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama Bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice?

'You know, living - think of this - living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there. And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year and they don't tell him.'

The president said it would have been 'nice' if the Navy Seals had been sent into kill bin Laden instead of letting him live in a 'nice' mansion in Pakistan (Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in this May 5, 2011)

The president said it would have been 'nice' if the Navy Seals had been sent into kill bin Laden instead of letting him live in a 'nice' mansion in Pakistan (Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in this May 5, 2011)

Fox News host Chris Wallace asked if he'd give the Seals credit for taking out the terrorist leader.  

'They took him down,' Trump said and added: 'Look, there's news right there, he lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year, which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us.'  

Bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011, by U.S. special forces.

He had reportedly been living in the fortified compound less than a mile from Pakistan's Military Academy for years, raising questions on whether or not Pakistani officials had any knowledge of his where abouts. Pakistan denied any knowledge he was there. 

Bin Laden had reportedly been living in the fortified compound less than a mile from Pakistan's Military Academy for years, raising questions on whether or not Pakistani officials had any knowledge of his whereabouts. Pakistan denied any knowledge he was there

Bin Laden reportedly didn't use the internet or cell phones in a bid to keep his presence a secret.   

Wallace had been pressing Trump on his feud with various media outlets. The president has been a frequent critic of CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times and others - calling them 'fake media.'

'Sir, leaders in authoritarian countries like Russia, China, Venezuela, now repress the media using your words,' Wallace said.

'I can't talk for other people, I can only talk for me,' Trump replied.

'But you're seen around the world as a beacon for repression,' Wallace said. 

'The news about me is largely phony,' Trump said in response. 'It's false. Even sometimes they'll say, uh, 'Sources say.' There is no source, in many cases.'

Wallace noted at the end of the pre-taped interview that McRaven has not endorsed in any presidential race.   

President Trump criticized Admiral McRaven as a Clinton supporter

President Trump criticized Admiral McRaven as a Clinton supporter

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