GOP Sen. Marco Rubio is now calling West Point graduate and political extremist Spenser Rapone, who openly expressed support for communism while in uniform, a clear “national security threat.”
Following a piece from The Daily Caller which revealed that Rapone had been reported as long ago as 2015 for his hatred of West Point, the Army, and even America, Rubio issued a second statement Thursday condemning Rapone as a national security threat.
“Members of the military who harbor anti-American views and express their desire to harm our country and its leaders are unfit to serve and defend our nation,” Rubio wrote on Facebook.
“Spenser Rapone held a security clearance, but he advocated violence against political opponents and expressed admiration for Private Manning, a traitor who provided troves of classified information to Wikileaks,” Rubio wrote. “Rapone clearly was and is a national security threat.”
The report from The Daily Caller noted that Rapone was removed from his Ranger battalion because he violated standards and had a reputation for insubordination. When West Point history professor Army Lt. Col. Robert Heffington discovered Rapone’s extremist social media history, he informed Rapone’s chain of command.
“I cannot reconcile the image of a first class cadet at West Point with the things he has posted online for the world to see,” Heffington said in a report. “To me, these are red flags that cannot be ignored, and I fail to see how this individual can possibly graduate and become a commissioned officer in six months.”
This report indicates that West Point knew full well about Rapone’s activities.
Rubio sent a letter Tuesday to Acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, urging the Army to “nullify Rapone’s commission and pursue all available disciplinary options under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Rapone should be required to pay back in full the cost of his education and the United States Military Academy should consider revoking his degree.”
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