SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Alleged war criminal Edward Gallagher is promoting apparel and branding himself a "conservative influencer." (Image: Salty Frog Gear/screenshot)
Outrage and Disgust After 'Serial Killer' Navy SEAL, Pardoned by Trump for War Crimes, Rebrands as Conservative Influencer
"Everything's a grift today. Even, it seems, for pardoned war criminals."
Dec 31, 2019
Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who was granted clemency this fall from President Donald Trump for posing with the body of a dead Iraqi child, is hawking t-shirts and supplements online in a bid to become a conservative influencer--a move that generated outrage from disgusted progressives.
"Everything's a grift today," tweeted advocacy group Sleeping Giants. "Even, it seems, for pardoned war criminals."
\u201cEverything\u2019s a grift today. Even, it seems, for pardoned war criminals.\n\nImagine selling clothes using a guy who was convicted of posing with a dead prisoner for a photo. That\u2019s where we are. https://t.co/I8zfXff2tE\u201d— Sleeping Giants (@Sleeping Giants) 1577891676
During his time in Iraq, Gallagher allegedly committed a number of war crimes, including killing a 15-year-old. Gallagher was acquitted of all crimes other than posing with the child's body; the president granted Gallagher clemency in November.
Gallagher's new job as an influencer and promoter for Salty Frog Gear was featured in a New York Times article Tuesday that described how the SEAL is using "his controversial past as a springboard to social media followers and branding opportunities":
Following the lead of many micro influencers, Chief Gallagher's Instagram account has also endorsed veteran-owned coffee beans and muscle-building supplements with macabre names like Double Tap and Total War. Like a sponsored athlete of the world's most dangerous sport, he regularly shows off the logos and clothing of a number of right-wing veterans' groups that push a distinct brand of patriotism, including an apparel brand run by the SEAL veteran who made the knife Chief Gallagher was accused of using to kill a captive. Along with all sorts of items emblazoned with the logo "KILL BAD DUDES," the site sells a "Waterboarding Instructor" shirt.
As Common Dreams reported in December, Gallagher's behavior while deployed to Iraq was so heinous that his fellow SEALs referred to him as "toxic," "freaking evil," and a murderer who "just wants to kill anybody he can."
Trump has called Gallagher "one of the ultimate fighters."
Observers sounded off on Twitter over the SEAL's new job and the Time's decision to promote him.
\u201cwhat a fucking ghoul https://t.co/spmGqzHQfG\u201d— Brendan Karet (@Brendan Karet) 1577839421
\u201cThe only reason why this story is relevant is the one thing not mentioned in this tweet: he's a recently pardoned war criminal.\u201d— Sana Saeed (@Sana Saeed) 1577904611
Gallagher's past, author Elon Green said, makes clear that the SEAL is a dangerous man.
"Edward Gallagher is a serial killer who pretended to be a Navy SEAL," said Green.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who was granted clemency this fall from President Donald Trump for posing with the body of a dead Iraqi child, is hawking t-shirts and supplements online in a bid to become a conservative influencer--a move that generated outrage from disgusted progressives.
"Everything's a grift today," tweeted advocacy group Sleeping Giants. "Even, it seems, for pardoned war criminals."
\u201cEverything\u2019s a grift today. Even, it seems, for pardoned war criminals.\n\nImagine selling clothes using a guy who was convicted of posing with a dead prisoner for a photo. That\u2019s where we are. https://t.co/I8zfXff2tE\u201d— Sleeping Giants (@Sleeping Giants) 1577891676
During his time in Iraq, Gallagher allegedly committed a number of war crimes, including killing a 15-year-old. Gallagher was acquitted of all crimes other than posing with the child's body; the president granted Gallagher clemency in November.
Gallagher's new job as an influencer and promoter for Salty Frog Gear was featured in a New York Times article Tuesday that described how the SEAL is using "his controversial past as a springboard to social media followers and branding opportunities":
Following the lead of many micro influencers, Chief Gallagher's Instagram account has also endorsed veteran-owned coffee beans and muscle-building supplements with macabre names like Double Tap and Total War. Like a sponsored athlete of the world's most dangerous sport, he regularly shows off the logos and clothing of a number of right-wing veterans' groups that push a distinct brand of patriotism, including an apparel brand run by the SEAL veteran who made the knife Chief Gallagher was accused of using to kill a captive. Along with all sorts of items emblazoned with the logo "KILL BAD DUDES," the site sells a "Waterboarding Instructor" shirt.
As Common Dreams reported in December, Gallagher's behavior while deployed to Iraq was so heinous that his fellow SEALs referred to him as "toxic," "freaking evil," and a murderer who "just wants to kill anybody he can."
Trump has called Gallagher "one of the ultimate fighters."
Observers sounded off on Twitter over the SEAL's new job and the Time's decision to promote him.
\u201cwhat a fucking ghoul https://t.co/spmGqzHQfG\u201d— Brendan Karet (@Brendan Karet) 1577839421
\u201cThe only reason why this story is relevant is the one thing not mentioned in this tweet: he's a recently pardoned war criminal.\u201d— Sana Saeed (@Sana Saeed) 1577904611
Gallagher's past, author Elon Green said, makes clear that the SEAL is a dangerous man.
"Edward Gallagher is a serial killer who pretended to be a Navy SEAL," said Green.
Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who was granted clemency this fall from President Donald Trump for posing with the body of a dead Iraqi child, is hawking t-shirts and supplements online in a bid to become a conservative influencer--a move that generated outrage from disgusted progressives.
"Everything's a grift today," tweeted advocacy group Sleeping Giants. "Even, it seems, for pardoned war criminals."
\u201cEverything\u2019s a grift today. Even, it seems, for pardoned war criminals.\n\nImagine selling clothes using a guy who was convicted of posing with a dead prisoner for a photo. That\u2019s where we are. https://t.co/I8zfXff2tE\u201d— Sleeping Giants (@Sleeping Giants) 1577891676
During his time in Iraq, Gallagher allegedly committed a number of war crimes, including killing a 15-year-old. Gallagher was acquitted of all crimes other than posing with the child's body; the president granted Gallagher clemency in November.
Gallagher's new job as an influencer and promoter for Salty Frog Gear was featured in a New York Times article Tuesday that described how the SEAL is using "his controversial past as a springboard to social media followers and branding opportunities":
Following the lead of many micro influencers, Chief Gallagher's Instagram account has also endorsed veteran-owned coffee beans and muscle-building supplements with macabre names like Double Tap and Total War. Like a sponsored athlete of the world's most dangerous sport, he regularly shows off the logos and clothing of a number of right-wing veterans' groups that push a distinct brand of patriotism, including an apparel brand run by the SEAL veteran who made the knife Chief Gallagher was accused of using to kill a captive. Along with all sorts of items emblazoned with the logo "KILL BAD DUDES," the site sells a "Waterboarding Instructor" shirt.
As Common Dreams reported in December, Gallagher's behavior while deployed to Iraq was so heinous that his fellow SEALs referred to him as "toxic," "freaking evil," and a murderer who "just wants to kill anybody he can."
Trump has called Gallagher "one of the ultimate fighters."
Observers sounded off on Twitter over the SEAL's new job and the Time's decision to promote him.
\u201cwhat a fucking ghoul https://t.co/spmGqzHQfG\u201d— Brendan Karet (@Brendan Karet) 1577839421
\u201cThe only reason why this story is relevant is the one thing not mentioned in this tweet: he's a recently pardoned war criminal.\u201d— Sana Saeed (@Sana Saeed) 1577904611
Gallagher's past, author Elon Green said, makes clear that the SEAL is a dangerous man.
"Edward Gallagher is a serial killer who pretended to be a Navy SEAL," said Green.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.