Gen. Keane slams Dem congressman questioning pro-Trump National Guardsmen's loyalty to America
Rep. Cohen's statement is 'irresponsible' and 'completely baseless,' the retired four-star general said
Fox News senior strategic analyst Gen. Jack Keane (ret.) told FOX Business Tuesday that Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., should apologize after ominously suggesting Monday that supporters of President Trump within the National Guard charged with helping protect Joe Biden "might want to do something" to the president-elect.
"Congressman Cohen's statement, it's not only outrageous, this is a statement that's significantly irresponsible and is completely baseless," Keane told FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings with Maria."
TRUMP SUPPORTERS IN NATIONAL GUARD MIGHT 'DO SOMETHING' TO BIDEN, DEM CONGRESSMAN SAYS
Cohen told CNN he had been reminded that former India Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her own bodyguards and said any Trump supporters within the National Guard were suspicious.
"The [National] Guard is 90-some-odd percent male, and only about 20% of White males voted for Biden," Cohen said. "You've got to figure that in the Guard, which is predominantly more conservative… they're probably not more than 25% of the people there protecting us that voted for Biden. The other 75% are in the large class of folks that might want to do something."
The retired four-star general and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom said in his 50 years of being around national security, he's never heard a politician say something like that.
"It is totally outrageous and baseless," Keane said. "He should apologize for something like that."
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When CNN's Jim Sciutto pushed back on Cohen, saying being a Trump voter was "far different from being a threat of violence" and asking if he could substantiate his claim of possible dangers surrounding Biden, Cohen said he had none but added "you draw a circle first" around Trump voters in the Guard who you should be "suspect of."
Immediately after his comments on CNN, Cohen was barraged online from both sides of the aisle.
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Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler criticized Cohen for implying any Trump supporter was a possible "seditionist."
"Hmmm, does a Democratic congressman really want to suggest that if you voted for Trump you might be a seditionist?" Kessler tweeted. "What happened to the idea that military people are professionals and do their jobs regardless of political preferences?"
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Fox News' David Rutz contributed to this report.