Here Are the Most Absurd Media Attacks on CIA Nominee Gina Haspel
After President Donald Trump chose Gina Haspel to be the first woman to lead the CIA, the mainstream media wasted no time attacking her in any way they could.
Here are a few of the worst reactions I have read in response to Haspel’s nomination.
1. Jessica Valenti
The radical feminist, author and columnist wasted no time spewing claims that Haspel somehow took advantage of feminism. On Wednesday, she tweeted the following:
“Anyone who thinks Gina Haspel is a win for ‘women’s empowerment’ doesn’t understand that there’s a huge difference between being a feminist and being a woman who benefitted (sic) from feminism,” Valenti wrote.
To translate, Valenti is just upset that Haspel doesn’t share her views.
2. “Gina Haspel should be arrested”
In March, Vincent Warren of The U.K. Guardian wrote an article in opposition to Haspel’s nomination. He claimed she supported torture, which was his prime reason against her becoming the CIA director.
However, I think most individuals using the term “torture” are referring to enhanced interrogation techniques such as waterboarding, which I do not believe is actually torture.
Warren said Haspel “should be arrested, not promoted, and the Senate, if it has a single shred of respect left for the law, should not confirm her.”
3. The Root
Stephen Crockett of The Root called Haspel a “thug,” claiming she is disguising her true identity.
“(Sen. John) McCain (R-Ariz.) is against confirming Haspel to run the CIA because he knows what Congress and the president know: Haspel is a thug disguised as a grandma, but she’s absolutely a thug,” Crockett wrote.
4. Meghan McCain
On Thursday’s episode of “The View,” Meghan McCain, like her father, voiced her opposition to Haspel.
“If you are okay with waterboarding. … I think that is psychotic,” McCain said, according to the Washington Examiner. “What’s next? are we going to be like ISIS and chop people’s heads off?”
It is absurd to compare a few cases of enhanced interrogations to the Islamic state terror group.
In 2015, Real Clear Politics reported that waterboarding gave investigators information leading to the capture of Obama bin Laden.
“Former CIA Directors George Tenet and Porter Goss contend that harsh techniques helped deliver valuable intelligence. And though former CIA Director Leon Panetta said waterboarding is ‘torture,’ he said the methods produced clues that led to Osama bin Laden,” the outlet reported.
Haspel has served multiple U.S. presidents over the past three decades, and her potential confirmation as the first female CIA director would be historic.
Despite the horrendous backlash against her nomination, I feel confident that she is the right person for the job.
Mitch Behna is a conservative who previously blogged for Wayne Dupree at waynedupree.com and the pro-life blog Live Action at liveaction.org.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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