A bit of “inter-service rivalry” was on display during a Thursday congressional hearing when a Democratic lawmaker took a swipe at Navy SEALs’ intelligence while Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke testified.
Arizona representative and former Marine Ruben Gallego took a jab at the Navy SEALs’ intelligence during a congressional hearing on Thursday. Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, was quick to fire back at Gallego.
Gallego asked Zinke how many meetings he took with the tribal organization that supported the Bears Ears monument President Donald Trump shrank the borders of in 2017. Gallego seemed to get frustrated with Zinke not giving him an exact number for the meetings.
“Secretary Zinke, I’m asking for just the number — I know you’re a Navy SEAL, and math might be difficult,” Gallego said. “You know, give me a rough number here.”
“What is specifically your question?” Zinke said in the hearing on the Interior Department’s budget.
“And I take offense about your derogatory comment about the United States Navy SEALs, of course; having not served, you probably don’t know,” Zinke said. “Not in the Navy and not in the Navy SEALs.”
Gallego chuckled at Zinke’s response, so the Navy SEAL jab seems to have been somewhat of a joke. Gallego apologized, noting the interservice rivalry between the Marine Corps and Navy and thanked the secretary for his service.
“Semper Fi,” Gallego and Zinke said.
House Natural Resources Committee Republicans, however, were not happy about Gallego’s conduct.
“Nothing to joke about here. Navy Seals who are at this very moment in harm’s way are defending his right to sit there and be snide,” committee spokeswoman Katie Schoettler told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
WATCH:
Leave it to Committee Democrats to disgrace the service of a Navy SEAL for political gain… pic.twitter.com/lVlis33KUJ
— Natural Resources (@NatResources) March 15, 2018
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