An MSNBC contributor faced a brutal backlash online after he downplayed a terror attack in Afghanistan that cost the lives of 11 U.S. Marines.
Malcolm Nance is an intelligence analyst for the left-wing cable news channel but he used his platform to try to quell the outrage over the horrendous suicide bomb attack at the airport in Kabul.
“20 YEARS- FYI there have been terrorist suicide bombers killing civilians nearly DAILY in Afghanistan,” the tweet read.
“This ain’t new. It’s why we are leaving,” he added with a hashtag saying “Deal with it.”
Reports had said at least 4 U.S. Marines had been killed in the blast by the time Nance sent out his tweet, but Pentagon officials later said that 11 Marines had been killed as well as one Navy corpsman. Dozens of Afghans were killed and 143 were wounded in the bloody attack.
Many were outraged at Nance’s flippant response.
“At least 4 US Marines killed and three wounded. Many more Afghans dead and wounded. F*** you,” said Marine veteran Paul Szoldra.
“Nothing like a guy who throws out #DealWithIt within an hour of civilians and U.S. Marines getting blown up,” responded one critic.
“You are the worst of humans,” tweeted another.
“There were a million different ways you could have made your point, and yet you chose the one that makes you an a**hole,” replied attorney Ari Cohn.
Nance responded to the furor by claiming that some were sending racial insults at him.
“We have lost 4 of our servicemembers. The reality is this is terrible. The cost could be greater if we don’t complete this mission,” he tweeted, adding that he was being called an N-word.
Still later he said he was going to delete the tweet.
“HERE IS WHY I’m going to delete this tweet. Today we lost 12 brave Americans & many Afghans. I deeply regret how callous it now sounds. I would never intentionally disrespect my brothers & sisters in arms. I also sincerely apologize to their families, and I pray for them,” he tweeted in part.
He claimed that he posted before “serious casualties” had been reported and that he should have waited.
*story by The Blaze
